Personally, I see it as both.. it can be age and it can be new to bdsm.

Groups... demos and seminars, typically you don't see that kind of a view and they tend to be welcoming to all. Munches and parties, it depends on the group. Some welcome all (not everyone is a party to such close-mindedness), and some do not. When it comes to groups attaching age limits, I think many may just prefer to associate with people within their age group (this is something that I can understand).. maybe they find them easier to identify with. Maestro Crusher is 60, and very Old School. Much of the time, when we socialize and congregate with lifestyle acquaintances, we do a bit more driving in order to do so. We live in a very rural area and most of the groups and munches in the area (there also aren't many here) are comprised of younger people (age-wise) who are "uncomfortable" with Maestro's Old School values. We aren't the only ones who've discovered this to be the case. We do have a small handful of friends here who also generally spend the extra time driving.