How important is gender of the author is to reading fanfic (or any fiction)?

[Gatefan1976]

When the egg on the sidewalk is cooked, you know it's too hot.

Yes, I tested that theory.

You should see how quick you can do that here in summer

On the topic at hand however, I don't care about the author of anything I read in terms of gender, looks, or orientation, I read for stories, not agenda's.

[P-90_177]

Ultimately you can write as either gender and be perfectly believable. Though there are a few caveats to that. On the whole male writers are more often than not terrible at writing women. But there are a good number of exceptions. The trick is that both men and women are just... well... people. Our character motivations can be much the same between genders.