AnneLea

Lets just say that if you like the idea of touching another male's body (dressed as a woman or not) or engaging in intimate activities with someone with male genitalia, I'd say you're at least bi-sexual and probably gay if you aren't attracted to women. Some gay people may be attracted to the heightened femininity exhibited by male transvestites. Same thing with women I suppose, but because women can look mostly normal wearing men's clothes they're less often classified as "transvestites."
In the end the problem is that this words "homosexuality" and "heterosexuality" are just human ones. Nature doesn't have some sort of "gay straight switch" that is clearly defined. For that reason gray areas, such as being attracted to transvestites, exist.
(I suppose this one is My opinion and some may not agree, but I believe it quite fervently)
Myth It matters whether or not homosexuality is a choice or inborn.
Truth If homosexuality is a choice people have a right to choose to be gay. If it isn't, people have a right to be who they are. Neither situation justifies condemnation.
Myth Women become lesbians because they were raped or had some sort of bad experience with men.
Truth Women become lesbians because they decide that they like the idea of fucking women more. Not necessarily because of an inborn hatred of men.
Myth Two men who hate each other can randomly burst into gay sex if the situation is right.
Truth Sorry Fan Girls, no.
Myth Gay teachers and authority figures will try to "recruit" people into homosexuality
Truth A person wont randomly start to like men just because they had a role model that did.
Myth Seeing the naughty bits of other men will turn men gay
TruthPeople need to stop screaming "Oh Noes! Penis!"
Myth It's a valid criticism to say that homosexuals can't have babies and we would all die out if we were all gay.
Truth There's no fucking way everyone in the world is going to become gay. Furthermore, considering the overpopulation issues in the world we could do with a few more homosexuals to adopt and help more children find homes.

Argle. You guys stole all the best myths! Right, so I'm gonna try to dream up a few anyway.
Myth: The pretty boy with the long hair is always the bottom and submissive.
Fact: Certainly not. Being a bottom and submissive has to do with your personality and not so much what you look like.
Myth:Gay guys don't like women and find them repulsive.
Fact: It's prefectly resonable for a gay man to flirt with and have a close relationship with a woman that might even border on platonic.
Myth: All slash writers are screaming yaoi fangirls.
Fact: Ah, to speak personally, I am not. While I am female and do have some fangirlish qualities toward certain fandoms, I really don't like yaoi for anything but some of the art. There are of course many others out there who feel the same way.
Myth: The right guy can turn any straight man gay or bi.
Fact: While I believe that all humans are bisexual/bicurious to a certain degree, I don't believe that a guy who has been a practicing and confirmed straight all his life just "hasn't found the right man".

I have to say that I have someone in my family that thinks all of these myths are true, and quite a few more as well.
Her favorite ones...
Myth: All homosexual people are pedophiles.
Truth: Just because you like the same sex does not mean you are more predisposed to this. If anything, there might be a few less - I don't know as I haven't really done a lot of research on it.
Myth: All homosexuals are just "mixed" up and need someone to show them the right way to act.
Truth: There is no right or wrong way to act or be when it comes to sexuality as long as your partner is of age and you're not hurting anyone.
Myth: Homosexuality is a disease that can be cured.
Truth: Give me a fucking break! Even if down the road we find out that it's a genetic disposition it's not a disease. It's how you feel, what you believe to be right, what you prefer, and above all how you are. There is no cure because there's nothing wrong with it.
And my favorite one of all (which she throws at me all the time)-
Myth: If you can write M/M or F/F relations then you must have dabbled in it at some point.
Truth: Just because I've done my research, talk to people, and write about M/M or F/F doesn't mean I've dallied. I'm female - and I love cock. That's not to say I'm not curious about the opposite side of the coin, it just means that I haven't found anyone I found to be attractive to try it out with.

There always seems to be some breakdown of communication somewhere that leaves authors and readers frustrated with each other. To open those lines of communication I submit this post, one of two, that will help break down what both writers and readers like to see. These are working guidelines, so feel free to add on your own opinions. I'm only going to post a few that I know of and hope that other people can help feel out the form to its fullest. Remember, don't be unreasonable with your suggestions.
Ten Commandments
o1) Using author's notes is not necessarily a bad thing, but using them excessively is both annoying and hinders reading of the story.
o2) Similarly, making author's notes in the middle of the story should almost never be done. If things need to be noted, make a mark indicating a footnote and explain it at the end.
o3) While the size of each chapter is completely dependent on the author's own opinion of how the story needs to go, it can be exceedingly frustrating to see a one page update.
o4) Do not hold your story hostage for reviews. It's incredibly immature and it is rude to your dedicated readers.
o5) Don't assume that just because you've posted a story that you are entitled to reviews.
o6) While everyone has different schedules and RL to deal with, not updating your fic (without any word to your readers) is frowned upon--sometimes it cannot be helped but it is best to try and avoid it if at all possible.
o7) Authors should always proofread their story before it is posted. Betas are bonus points and can only really help a story and author.*
*There is a whole subtopic in the forums that is dedicated to beta reading. If you're looking for one or would like to volunteer, please go check it out.

I know that we ALL have seen this one... you open a fiction because you see it had a score of 5 out of 5 and glowing reviews only to find that it is so poorly written and has such bad grammar that it's all but unreadable. Then you begin to wonder just how it got those reviews and the rating it has.
My question is this... are people who do such a thing doing an author a bad turn by only giving praise and not pointing out serious issues? Does it help them in any way other than to feed their ego? Should people really make those reviews and ratings count by giving the story just what it deserves rather than artificially elevating it? What do you think?

Actually, I'm published as erotic romance author and those terms you just used? I had to change them. They bluntly told me to change them. They don't want the flowery language in romance/erotica, they want the naughty and heat generated from it. It sets a tone in something that they want and appeals to a different kind of nature. That's the standard preference to the masses, not the anatomical of anything unless it's a description in a non-erotic part of the story for something. Are they overused? Depends on the term and the context. That just comes from you being able to use a name or description is all.

Actually, that 'slang' as you call it is what publishers want. They WANT cock, balls, pussy, etc instead of more mainstream terms. They want heat and heat tends to not come from proper anatomical terms. The whole point of reading some of this is it's 'naughty'. And the naughty parts come from the word usage. Last three go 'rounds with the pro edit i had to change terminology to something more heat driven from the mundane to amp up the heat level. So, it appears, what people want is the naughty, not proper terms.

To be honest, as a reader, it's distracting. If I were reviewing that, I'd ask you to pick a colloquial and stick with it. I'm tossed back and forth between British and US American -isms and it detracts a bit from your story, because I'm thrown out of the flow while my brain tries to reconcile US and British terms.