Ladies first

Is this a suggestion or command?

I work in a store on a strip mall. Our dumpsters are to the left and customer parking right in front, when approaching my store from the left, I reached the door maybe a mere second before a man. I swung the door open, and then, rather than walking into the man rudely, held the door open for him- and his response?

Not "thankyou" as it would be deemed ride for a women to not reply to to an opened door, regardless of the sex tag, but "ladies first - ALWAY" he specified. I looked at him with an odd smile. Am I to wAlk around him? Thus closing the door on me and him partly before he catches the door I have already opened so HE can be the opener of doors? Am I not doing it right?!

Is he to take the door from me first, so I can grab a quick feel of his sweaty armpit on my shoulder or head?

I just kept staring with an odd smile until he reciprocated the awkward smile accompanied by a laugh and walked in before - but that awkward 30 seconds or so really gave me pause for the general understanding of women first.

Is it just a friendly saying? Or an ingrained belief - and why?

Some reasons I've heard from women include "the door is too heavy for me" and "we deserve the door opened for us. We carry babies after all"

"I just love being doted on"

...

Do you think no man finds the door too heavy? I assure you not all women will find ANY door too heavy, let alone the average door.

*i* might have carried a baby but not All women ever will. And if you factor in transgenderism, some men have.

But even if you don't want to factor in transgenderism; I know there is debates about if he uses his uterus he's still a woman ; I'm not here to debate that, today.  But - what if you can't tell or mistaken the sex? If a woman identifies as a woman, but bears a penis and manly features, would that woman be mocked and left to fend the door for herself, even if she was one of the weaker ones, or instantly included in all men's perceptions of WOMEN. Not some women, but an entire wave of xx chromosomal eRthlings.

What if a man was simply not strong enough to open these doors some women claim to be SO. HEAVY.

Would they be mocked? Would they feel embarrassed if a strong woman offered to hold the door for them?

Would they refuse from shame?

Because I've had WOMEN decline my physical assistance simply because of my vagina.

I've noticed lately sexism seems more accepted than racism.

I can't wait for the world in which neither are acceptable.