I know what you mean and feel the same way to a degree, although not with as specific an age range. And I don't think 'predatory' is the right word, at least any more than when comparing the same thing to straight relationships.

When I was younger (teens to early 20s) I could never imagine being attracted to anyone significantly older than me. And it seemed like every gay couple had a significant age gap, and I could never imagine how the younger guy could be with the older guy. I'd go as far as to say it factored into my fear of coming out - it seemed like that meant I'd have to hook up with older men, and honestly being in the closet seemed like a better option to <20yo me.

Now I'm "older" (mid 30s) I do see it differently. My tastes have aged as I have. I don't automatically see older people as attractive, but I can definitely appreciate the older guys who've looked after themselves. I can definitely find men in their 30s and 40s hot, which I never could when I was younger.

And while younger people are still attractive, but I imagine sleeping with anyone much younger than me either. 18-22ish yos are basically still kids, and people in their mid 20s don't tend to be much better.

And that framing is how I look at older-younger relationships.

For me, I can't imagine wanting to be with someone as young as that (irrelevant of gender and sexuality). I can see the physical attraction of younger guys but like, I feel like you have to be in the same space emotionally to date someone, and I feel like for like 90% of people in their mid to early-20s and younger, they still have a lot of growing to do.

Like, don't get me wrong, I love younger people. But it's definitely in more like a mentor/paternal or even fraternal way. Definitely not a 'lover' way.

I'm sure older people look at people my age and feel the same way!

So that's what frames my opinion of older-younger relationships (gay or straight). My first assumption is that it must be more transactional, or the younger person is being exploited to a degree (aka, it's transactional from the older person's point of view, but the younger person isn't aware of that).

Or even the assumption that the older person is less emotionally developed than the younger person. I think is the most common case with gay couples where older men weren't able to be our true selves when we were younger, and so they are still growing and learning and making mistakes they didn't have chance to when they were younger.

Having said all that, I don't judge people and wouldn't disapprove of a relationship based on age (assuming it was ever my business to do so, lol). But I do think that people who are younger should be aware and think about why the older person they are dating wants to be with them.