"I ride with a lot of male riders, on a lot of long rides ... many of whom dislike the cutouts as much as I do"
!= "cutouts are unnecessary."
From Cervelo's
"THE FOUR AND A HALF RULES OF ROAD SADDLES" -
Even on a saddle that’s wide enough, flat enough and firm enough, some people just need a cutout, or a hole through the saddle. If you have a saddle that’s wide enough, flat enough and firm enough and it’s still uncomfortably pressing on the soft tissue under your pubic bone, then you may need a cutout.
The article went on to cite the advice of a female (a physical therapist's assistant) that suggested the following test -
Find a wooden chair or stone bench or other very hard and unyielding seating surface.
Sit on it.
Hinge forward at your hips (don't bend your back) until you can rest your elbows on your knees.
Stay that way for a few minutes.
If your "soft tissues" object to this treatment, it is likely you would benefit from a saddle with a cutout.
If it's a question of authority, I think that I'll put more stock in the opinions of the Cervelo engineers (who have no skin in the saddle game) that came to this conclusion, much of it through pressure mapping of their riders.