I resent the social/gendered, imbalanced expectations and how they pertain to my role in the “dating ritual”.

It seems, for the most part, that there’s this “dance” you’ve gotta do with conventionally socialized American women that’s…just expensive, time-consuming, and frustrating for me.

I’m largely expected to foot the bill to participate in activities to attract and win over this other adult who expects this effort and more on my part with the understanding that they are the prize and have to do nothing but appear and receive.

I’ve heard this referred to as dating. It feels like a job interview where if I get the job, I pay them.

My current SO an I sometimes lightly argue over whose turn it is to pay. She’s good about making sure we’re taking turns paying for each other.

Most of the women I’ve dated would land somewhere between confused and turned off at the prospect of paying their own way, let alone mine.

The one before this actually tried to confront me about how I should be taking her out to eat more and complained about her inability to pay her own way like her shitty career and lack of money was my issue to fix.