Role Models: Does a Boy Need a Man? (or a girl need a woman)

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I was talking to my other half (D) about role models and gender roles. I happened to mention how good it had been that my youngest (Mini) had such good male role models at Scouts, and how having those influences was a good thing. As D pointed out, I had done a good job of raising Mini alone but we got on to talking about the importance of having someone of the same gender. In an ideal world, all children would have good role models both male and female. Even if you're a feminine man, a masculine woman, someone interested and capable of things 'traditionally' seen as the domain of the opposite gender, you're still not the opposite gender. This, unfortunately, is not an ideal world and it's not always possible to have good male and female role models. I don't think for a second that a woman (or man) CAN'T raise a child alone nor do I believe it is necessarily detrimental. I can only speak from experience and, in my experience, my younger son has come on leaps and bounds since having positive male role models in his life. Now, whether that is a matter of having positive role models or specifically positive male role models or just not having the negative role model that was his father, I don't know. I do know that there are things I don't know about boys. He's a pre-teen going through puberty. There are things he doesn't want to talk to me about and, I admit, I am so glad to have D for when I'm not sure about things. I'm not saying I couldn't do it all myself, only that it's easier the way it is now. So, the question - is it important to have both male and female role models? How important is it? What is your experience.