I now pronounce you Dwarf & Hobbit...oops!

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by davem

No - the only fault in logic is the assumption that humans in Tolkien's world are no different to humans in the primary world.

I consider it a reasonable assumption, given the author's presentation of M-e as a 'pre-historic' version of the primary world. There is no reason to assume that humans in M-e were any different, biologically or emotionally, to those in our world, save as expressly stated. The fact that some humans achieved great longetivity in M-e is not inconsistent with this, given the known M-e 'fact' that such longetivity was capable of diminishment over time.

Originally Posted by davem

This question cannot be reduced to 'Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence' arguments.

I am not claiming it as evidence. I am using it to counter your point that absence of evidence is evidence of absence. As Nogrod points out, absence of evidence does not prove anything.

Originally Posted by davem

As I stated, Tolkien has created hundreds of characters, & not one can be interpreted as homosexual.

But the sexuality of the vast majority of those characters is not at all relevant to the story and is therefore not addressed at all. Moreover, it may well have been that homosexuality was 'frowned upon' in certain sections of M-e society (as it has been historically, and still is, in certain sections of our society), and so it is reasonable to assume that it would not be mentioned in a fictional 'historical record' of that society.

Originally Posted by davem

Which is not evidence for the existence of homosexuality in M-e.

I accept that. Again, I was countering your point that Elven sexuality was evidence of the absence of homosexuality in M-e.

Originally Posted by davem

I suppose its a question of whether you're motivated by a desire to understand & explore the author's creation, or whether you're motivated by a desire to remake the author's creation 'in your own image'....

In the absence of firm evidence, one way or the other, (which is my point) then it comes down to individual taste. Personally, it doesn't really matter to me whether same-sex relationships existed in M-e or not. But I have no problem if someone chooses to believe that they did, and wishes to participate in an on-line rpg on that basis.