69-year-old Ratelband was born on 11 March 1949, but wants to change the clocks back on his birth certificate 20 years, to 1969. He believes the change is similar to transgenders changing their sex.
Mr. Ratelband complains that his age affected job opportunities, in addition to scoring dating chances on Tinder. The Dutch constitution prohibits employment discrimination based on age.
"You can change your name. You can change your gender. Why not your age?" he said to Dutch paper De Telegraaf.
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He has taken his case to a local court in Arnhem, who will issue a ruling in four weeks. But court officials remain wary as no legal mechanisms have been devised to allow citizens to change their birth date, Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad reported.
"When I'm 69, I am limited. If I'm 49, then I can buy a new house, drive a different car. I can take up more work," Mr. Ratelband said. "When I'm on Tinder and it says I'm 69, I don't get an answer. When I'm 49, with the face I have, I will be in a luxurious position."
Could just lie like most people in Hollywood for example or on their Tinder/Grindr profile. #emileratelband https://t.co/HghVzwn3IL
— Jonathan Cheetham (@GerJonnimo) November 8, 2018
#emileratelband Good luck to this 69 yr old Dutchman who feels 49. Sadly gone about it the wrong way though as can’t change date of birth. But could seek right to self identify as an age different to chronological age. Why not? Highlights absurdity of the gender change nonsense.
— Alan Shore (@savethecaveman) November 8, 2018
Ummmm perhaps you suck otherwise big fella and the reason is not your age #EmileRatelband. You know it says a lot if you have to beg for folks to be interested in you! https://t.co/2SxWIYIMjM
— cathy moore (@cathymoore2) November 7, 2018
Deze beste man is dus 69 jaar oud, maar vindt zichzelf 49 jaar.
— Michel 🇳🇱 🇮🇱 (@Michel1401) November 6, 2018
Daarom vindt hij dat de leeftijd in zijn paspoort met 20 jaar moet worden verlaagd.
Daarvoor is hij daadwerkelijk naar de rechter gestapt. Echt waar.#EmileRatelband pic.twitter.com/8Cnc0BXsbU
ik wil ook mijn leeftijd laten aanpassen.. smorgens naar 80 smiddags naar 45 en savonds en in de weekends naar 25 🤗 #EmileRatelband
— bianca 🔴⚪⚫ (@19BiancA08) November 5, 2018
Mr. Ratelband also argues that doctors say he has the body of a 45-year-old and calls himself a "young god" by his standards.
The confident Dutchman, who is a motivational speaker, media figurehead, and trainer in neurolinguistic programming, also provided voice acting for the character Vladimir Trunkov in the Dutch version of Pixar's Cars 2.
If successful with his court case, Mr. Ratelband promised he would give up his pension.
