Thanks for the replies.
I was always aware that a few female AVs are male operated but never suspected it would be in the stereotypical range of 90% - that just doesn't sound right I also assumed there were usually more rl women in sl than men so I thought it would balance out eventually.
I never considered that gay/bi users would actually want to roleplay as an opposite sex who is straight for any reason other than as a parody (while straight males have been known to play the opposite sex as a cruel joke sometimes). I was surprised as well to learn there are women who use male AVs for reasons other than building, machinima, or as a showcase model. The options for men here are pretty limited by comparison but then a lot of us don't shop much either so I can't say I fathom the appeal.
For the straight women who are taking on the role of lesbians in sl, would it be fair to say in a world where you can be anything you want, being straight where it is already ubquituous in the real world has fallen somewhat out of fashion for you in sl? Could sexuality in a virtual world become something that, like clothing, you could morph in and out of at your leisure?
Lastly, someone in the thread here mentioned that some women prefer male avatars who are played by other real life women because of the better rp sex. Is this fairly common in SL? That can't be good news for the rest of us if so lol.