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A 69-year-old man is petitioning to legally have his age lowered to 49 because it fits his body better, claiming that age is fluid. The Dutch man, Emile Ratelband, was born in 1949 and works as a motivational speaker and pensioner in his hometown of Arnhem. Ratelband, who literally described himself as a "young god" to De Telegraaf, felt he was being discriminated against on dating apps. Regarding the 20-year shed reported in The Guardian, Ratelband goes on to say, "I can take up more work. 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." Controversially, the father of seven likens changing his age to people who identify as transgender. In an interview with The Washington Post, Ratelband says he isn't bothered that his comparison may offend people, and maintains it comes down to free will. “Because nowadays, in Europe and in the United States, we are free people. We can make our own decisions if we want to change our name, or if we want to change our gender. So I want to change my age. My feeling about my body and about my mind is that I’m about 40 or 45.”According to The Guardian, the judge Ratleband met with Monday conceded the ability to change gender was a development in the law: “I agree with you: a lot of years ago, we thought that was impossible."Transgender people in many countries have been through legal battles for years for the right to change their birth certificate to match their gender identity. In the Netherlands for example, where Ratelband is from, they must have a statement from a medical professional agreeing they understand the repercussion for their decision and that they have "permanent conviction" regarding their change. According to NPR, Ratelband's website says he is in "a steady relationship with the woman of his dreams." However, he has told media outlets he is dating and interested in having more children with surrogate mothers. When the judge asked what his parents would think about 20 years of his life being wiped from the record, he said his parents were dead. The court's decision will be made in the coming weeks. According to The Post, Ratelband's friends have encouraged him to simply change his name on the dating apps he uses. “But I don’t want to lie,” he said.