here's my position on door-holding: i don't like it. and "chivalry" in general: i hate it.
i think treating someone differently because of their gender is sexism. whether they're male or female, and even if the treatment is something "good," like holding doors, carrying books, or pulling back a chair at the table. when people do these things for me, i usually feel like i'm being put on some kind of pedestal that i'm not sure i want. or i feel like i'm being treated like a child--a silly girl who is incapable of doing things on her own. i feel like holding a door open for me just because i'm a woman is no different than refusing to pass me the ball in gym class for the same reason. if the person holding the door for me--the person who went ridiculously out of their way to ensure that i wouldn't have to so much as touch the door handle--would honestly do the same thing if it had been a burly man coming through the door, then i don't have an issue with it. but most of the time, that isn't the case.


