She was joking about wanting the boys, but she still felt proud to be checked out. Admiration of any kind boosts self confidence, especially for someone who has really struggled with confidence in the past like Tara.She was joking. This is made clear when she says, somewhat sarcastically, "I'm cured! I want the boys!"
Tara was joking around with Willow . You could see the way she was speaking she didn't mean it . In fact I liked the fact that Tara was joking around when at first Tara was stuttering . That scene showed just how much Tara loved Willow if she was able to kid around with Willow .I've always seen this as a pick at the distasteful joke that if lesbians got a good lay, they would no longer be lesbians. It is a joke, picking fun at the belief that a lesbian is a lesbian because they have not yet found the right man. This is also true for single women, that once they find "MR right" they will be cured of their individual ideas and start to fit in to what society is comfortable with.