[Rikae]

Originally Posted by davem

Anything he hasn't put in there doesn't actually exist – whether its logically possible or not.

Ah. In this case, I suppose the silly thread in Mirth a while back about no one in M-E going to the bathroom (or should I say toilet?) is actually true; despite the fact that we're dealing with human beings and it would seem obvious they would be, biologically, the same as real humans; because Tolkien didn't mention it? Or are we to assume M-E people, like us, kept such things private?
Of course nothing Tolkien left out exists. Technically, neither does anything he included...

Originally Posted by Davem

Now, one assumes that in a world created by a conservative Catholic born in the Edwardian period certain things wouldn't exist – not simply wouldn't be mentioned, but would not be put into the world at all. And this is not a question of morality or organised religion, but simply of what a man like Tolkien would choose to include, to give existence to.

Why? Because he would have considered it immoral and/or unnatural? Because I seem to recall that he did include evil in his world; I didn't get the impression he was constructing a utopia...rather, he brought a great deal of insight into the flawed nature of humanity (if you want to call it that), to his writing; so I doubt he would have us assume that his humans were somehow (from a christian point of view) "more perfect" than modern ones.
Certainly actual gay marriage wouldn't fit into M-E; nor would it fit the style and plot for Tolkien to have paid undue attention to the sex lives of his characters for him to dwell on, say, a sadomasochistic interlude between Saruman and Grima . He doesn't give us graphic descriptions of the bedroom antics of Sam and Rosie, either; Occam's razor would suggest this is because he didn't consider it fitting or relevant to include this, not because he wishes us to believe that hobbits reproduce asexually.

Originally Posted by Davem

Homosexuality in M-e is not an option because in M-e (as opposed to the Primary World) sexuality does not operate in that way.

You might be able to make this argument for other races...but there are humans in M-E, and it's illogical to assume they differ from real humans unless the professor actually specified as much.