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I asked a prominent Rov and he assured me that the Gemora’s statement that a man should not follow a woman applies when walking behind her (e.g. down the street) and does NOT apply to a situation where the woman (e.g. your date) walks first through a doorway and then stands aside waiting for you to join her on the other side of the doorway. According to those who want the man to walk first across the doorway and let the door close after him (or hold the door by putting their arm behind them as someone proudly posted that he did when dating), he would still see the woman walk across the doorway to join him, which would present the same problem as when the woman walked through the doorway first. So then you are forced to say that the man should turn his head opposite of the side the woman is coming from, etc. You can see how ridiculous this gets. The point is that walking behind a woman who is walking ahead of you presents a unique problem (which the Gemora forbids), one that is NOT encountered by letting the lady cross the doorway first and wait for you on the other side. No one said you have to watch her walk through the doorway while you are holding the door for her
Also, please DO NOT quote the Halacha about men vs. women on a sinking ship with insufficient liferafts. What about the same Siman in Shulchan Aruch that says that women take precedence over men for Pidyon Shevutim and Tzedaka? Why did you “cherry-pick” and just choose the one Halacha that you believe supports your view? Also, this situation has nothing to do with holding the door for a woman to go first.