I usually try to get female starters, but I have a few male starters as well. The main use I can see for them ("them" being female starters) is that you can breed more of their kind, but with egg moves inherited from other Pokemon.
I've only gotten two female starters by complete chance (i.e. on my first try) - and they were both in the 3rd generation. One was a Mudkip on the Emerald Version, and the other one was a Charmander on the Fire Red version.
Among my other starters, I have Typhlosion (female), Blaziken (male), Meganium (male), Charmeleon (male), and Quilava (in Gold, Crystal and Emerald, and female in all three games). I have never managed to get a female starter in my Red version.