For me it seems this should be determined by the situation. In situations of dating and attraction I have been on both sides of the social fence. I have been pursued and I have been the pursuer. If I was to give my younger self any advice in this area I would say if you are interested go for it. Why wonder about what could have been; step up and find out.

No one should "act"......you should just "be", yes? This question bugs me in many ways.

I'm old school.I think a man should treat a woman ,with great respect and viser versa . And yes a women should act like a women and a man like a man.

I like to think I'm egalitarian in sexual relationships. Of course, I am flattered when hit on by a attractive woman. However, as I think back on the relationships that have lasted in my life, I probably made the first move in most. All that being said, If you hit on me, I would probably respond in a positive way.

Don’t know what these roles entail, I act as my self, and let others classify the role

I love being pursued. If a woman has some degree of interest in me, I hate being expected to be a mind reader. I'm kind of androgynous in many ways as well. I'm attracted to "butch" women, not girly ones. I love women with body hair, etc. I don't mind paying for a date, but I don't think it should be expected of me just because of my anatomy. If we are atheists, we are unique individuals, right?

What does it mean to be a woman? Does it mean to conform to rigid gender roles and gender norms? If I pursue a partner or do not like the trappings of femininity am I no longer a woman?
My take on it is you subscribe to conservative binary gender roles/norms and you have yet to realize that gender is a social construct, a performance and rather fluid, along a spectrum.

I think that what was once the social norm when I was a teenager (overtly masculine sexual behaviour toward women), became less socially acceptable with the advent of feminism. The new gender sexual politics confused a number of young men from my era, who wanted to be mindful of not being overly chauvinistic, but at the same time also wanting to maintain a certain level of masculinity for perhaps fear of losing their gender identity. Certainly from my experience women tended to be became more sexually independent and not worry so much about the social morays. This was both great and scary, (sometimes at the same time), but I had lots of fun along the way.

People should act in whatever way they are comfortable. Personally, I prefer "traditional" gender roles in my marriage.

Why would a woman have to ACT like a woman unless she wasn't sure she was a woman? why would a man have to ACT like a man unless he wasn't sure he was a man? and what does a woman or a man act like anyway? how do you define femininity? wearing makeup or heels? acting stupid so a guy can feel smart? some women are strong and others aren't as strong. the same is true of men. why does everyone have to follow the same path? if men feel insecure that a woman is strong, maybe that's just a little residual patriarchal privilege trying to be heard. i'd ignore it.

g