Dating: Asking a man out

I know several women who refuse to even consider asking a man out first. They believe that it is a man’s role to pursue and seek out them out. When the woman takes on that role, many believe that shifts the power dynamic. It’s interpreting the gender roles in its most basic form: women should not take the lead.

The few times I have seen women ask men out, the men seemed flattered and opened to it. I have never heard a man admit to feeling emasculated after being asked out by a man. Isn’t there a way to ask a guy out without appearing desperate?

If a woman asked a man out first, should she worry about him being able to take the lead later on in the relationship?