RE: your comment about not being locked into gender roles. Bingo. For me this is primarily why I love writing slash. As I had one of my characters say once upon a time, you can mount and be mounted. It is a story of equals. This is much harder to pull off in het fiction. What might be perceived of as a strong characterization in het fiction is often labeled bitchy. Also, anger in women is not accepted. My protagonist in my mystery series has been characterized as whiny, bitchy, strident, etc., fill in the blank, because she's an articulate, strong-willed person. This criticism is from WOMEN! Men like my protagonist, so go figure that one out. With slash, none of that applies. Both enjoy the stage as equals.