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Leeds Older People’s Forum

Ageism affects people of all ages

Ageism is discrimination based on age. Any age. It can, and does, affect us all, at numerous points in our lives.

People often assume that ageism only affects older people, but in a global study The Perennials (carried out by Ipsos MORI), “three quarters of those aged 25-34 felt discriminated against for being too young.”

It is this shared intergenerational experience of being treated unfairly that the second message of the Age Proud Leeds campaign addresses.

As well as direct discrimination from others, a peculiar characteristic of ageism is that we do it to ourselves. As we approach middle-age, we routinely distance ourselves from our ageing selves. But to what end?

“It doesn’t make much sense to discriminate against a group that we aspire to join… Ageism is a prejudice against our own future selves… and takes root in denial of the fact that we’re going to get old. That we are ageing.”

Ashton Applewhite

We call upon all Leeds citizens – younger, middle-aged and older – to unite against ageism, challenge age-based stereotypes and change negative attitudes to ageing.


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