---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Isn't a gay Mormon like an oxymoron?' 'Do…"
description: "\"“Isn't a gay Mormon like an oxymoron?' 'Do I look like an oxymoron to you?' 'An oxymormon.”\" — David Ebershoff"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/david-ebershoff-29756_oxymoron_isn-t-a-gay-mormon-like-an-oxymoron-do-i_2970434.png"
---

#  Isn't a gay Mormon like an oxymoron?' 'Do I look like an…

![“Isn't a gay Mormon like an oxymoron?' 'Do I look like an oxymoron to you?' 'An oxymormon.” quote by David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/david-ebershoff-29756_oxymoron_isn-t-a-gay-mormon-like-an-oxymoron-do-i_2970434.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/david-ebershoff-29756_oxymoron_isn-t-a-gay-mormon-like-an-oxymoron-do-i_2970434.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/david-ebershoff-29756_oxymoron_isn-t-a-gay-mormon-like-an-oxymoron-do-i_2970434.png)

> ““Isn't a gay Mormon like an oxymoron?' 'Do I look like an oxymoron to you?' 'An oxymormon.””

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He uses humor to highlight paradoxes in identity, questioning societal labels.

**In simple terms:** Question contradictory identities.

Key Takeaway

Embrace complexity.

Themes

identity humor paradox

Mood

playful thoughtful

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- theatre
- debate
- education

Key Concepts

social constructs language

Questions to Reflect On

- How do labels shape perception?
- What contradictions exist in your identity?

A Different Perspective

May trivialize serious issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Oxymoron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oxymoron/)

## Related quotes

> [“Well-grounded in magic.' That almost sounds like an oxymoron.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-harper/well-grounded-in-magic-that-almost-sounds-like-an-oxymoron/)

[Dani Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-harper/)

> [I grew up and had a lot of friends who were gay and Mormon. They couldn't come out to their parents. They couldn't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-grew-up-and-had-a-lot-of-friends-who-were-gay-and-mormon-they/)

[Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/)

> [One of my best friends was gay and Mormon, and I saw how conflicted he was. It was the first time my faith didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/one-of-my-best-friends-was-gay-and-mormon-and-i-saw-how-conflicted-he/)

[Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/)

> [Independent film is not only an oxymoron; it doesn't exist anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/independent-film-is-not-only-an-oxymoron-it-doesn-t-exist-anymore/)

[Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/)

> [A German sense of humor is an oxymoron.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/a-german-sense-of-humor-is-an-oxymoron/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I personally think intellectual property is an oxymoron. Physical objects have a completely different natural economy than intellectual goods. It's a tricky thing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-personally-think-intellectual-property-is-an-oxymoron-physical/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [Correct thinkers think that 'baseball trivia' is an oxymoron: nothing about baseball is trivial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/correct-thinkers-think-that-baseball-trivia-is-an-oxymoron-nothing/)

[George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/)

> [“Mothering Oxymoron: Reminding the kids to not talk with food in their mouths, yet I have food in my mouth while trying to correct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mommy-moo-moo/mothering-oxymoron-reminding-the-kids-to-not-talk-with-food-in-their/)

Mommy Moo Moo

> [Only a loving and covenant-making personal God can provide humans with unique dignity, worth, and rights. Blind nature cannot do that. So, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-e-olson/only-a-loving-and-covenant-making-personal-god-can-provide-humans/)

[Roger E. Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-e-olson/)

> [“I have a terrible memory; I never forget a thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-konecky/i-have-a-terrible-memory-i-never-forget-a-thing/)

[Edith Konecky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-konecky/)

> [instant opinion is an oxymoron. You don't get real opinions in an instant. You get reactions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/instant-opinion-is-an-oxymoron-you-don-t-get-real-opinions-in-an/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [I am not going to say I told you so, but I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouriel-roubini/i-am-not-going-to-say-i-told-you-so-but-i-did/)

[Nouriel Roubini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouriel-roubini/)

> [I'm still agnostic. But in the words of Elton Richards, I'm now a reverant agnostic. Which isn't an oxymoron, I swear. I now believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-still-agnostic-but-in-the-words-of-elton-richards-i-m-now-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You're lying through your fangs," Iggy accused. Fang tried to play innocent--but "innocent Fang" is an oxymoron, so it didn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/you-re-lying-through-your-fangs-iggy-accused-fang-tried-to-play/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [Oxymoron: She's Smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/oxymoron-she-s-smart/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

## More by David Ebershoff

> [Isn't it interesting what a stranger can offer? A little wisdom, a little mercy, a little love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/isn-t-it-interesting-what-a-stranger-can-offer-a-little-wisdom-a/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

> [“There is nothing more alarming to a boy than seeing a mother, or a father, buckling. It says to him that all will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/there-is-nothing-more-alarming-to-a-boy-than-seeing-a-mother-or-a/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

> [“Even though she was sitting next to the man, she couldn't believe he had noticed her. It felt to her as if no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/even-though-she-was-sitting-next-to-the-man-she-couldn-t-believe-he/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

> [“My duty, I know, is to lead. I cannot offer an array of options. I must offer a long but narrow path to Salvation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/my-duty-i-know-is-to-lead-i-cannot-offer-an-array-of-options-i-must/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

> [“I suppose my greatest disappointment has been realizing my father, like Joseph and Brigham before him, tried to shroud his passions in the mantle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/i-suppose-my-greatest-disappointment-has-been-realizing-my-father/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

> [I trust you have seen the ocean. If you have, then you have witnessed the divine. How barren the ground is in comparison! If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/i-trust-you-have-seen-the-ocean-if-you-have-then-you-have-witnessed/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

> [Last year when my grandma fell and broke her hip she couldn't paint her toenails anymore. So my grandpa started doing it for her,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/last-year-when-my-grandma-fell-and-broke-her-hip-she-couldn-t-paint/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

> [“A final note on numbers: My research shows Ann Eliza was most likely Brigham's 52 of 55 wives. As far as I can tell,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/a-final-note-on-numbers-my-research-shows-ann-eliza-was-most-likely/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

> [“Faith, I tell them, is a mystery, elusive to many, and never easy to explain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/faith-i-tell-them-is-a-mystery-elusive-to-many-and-never-easy-to/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

> [The agony of martyrdom is almost too much to bear. In the early hours, when the loss is fresh, there is no comfort in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/the-agony-of-martyrdom-is-almost-too-much-to-bear-in-the-early-hours/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

> [“When my mom pulled the trigger my dad had a full house, three fives and a pair of ducks. He was all in. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/when-my-mom-pulled-the-trigger-my-dad-had-a-full-house-three-fives/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

> [“Do you know what I miss most about Rosemary? Simply knowing she was there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/do-you-know-what-i-miss-most-about-rosemary-simply-knowing-she-was/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

> [“Anna's voice wasn't a beautiful voice - rough edged and sorrowful, a bit used, somehow male and female at once. Yet it had more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/anna-s-voice-wasn-t-a-beautiful-voice-rough-edged-and-sorrowful-a-bit/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

> [I must say a few words about memory. It is full of holes. If you were to lay it out upon a table, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/i-must-say-a-few-words-about-memory-it-is-full-of-holes-if-you-were/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

> [“Under what circumstances does such outrage thrive? The territory of Utah, glorious as it may be, spiked by granite peaks and red jasper rocks,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/under-what-circumstances-does-such-outrage-thrive-the-territory-of/)

[David Ebershoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

[Explore all 17 David Ebershoff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/)

## More Oxymoron quotes

> [Oxymoron: She's Smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/oxymoron-she-s-smart/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [You're lying through your fangs," Iggy accused. Fang tried to play innocent--but "innocent Fang" is an oxymoron, so it didn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/you-re-lying-through-your-fangs-iggy-accused-fang-tried-to-play/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [I'm still agnostic. But in the words of Elton Richards, I'm now a reverant agnostic. Which isn't an oxymoron, I swear. I now believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-still-agnostic-but-in-the-words-of-elton-richards-i-m-now-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I am not going to say I told you so, but I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouriel-roubini/i-am-not-going-to-say-i-told-you-so-but-i-did/)

[Nouriel Roubini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouriel-roubini/)

> [instant opinion is an oxymoron. You don't get real opinions in an instant. You get reactions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/instant-opinion-is-an-oxymoron-you-don-t-get-real-opinions-in-an/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [“I have a terrible memory; I never forget a thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-konecky/i-have-a-terrible-memory-i-never-forget-a-thing/)

[Edith Konecky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-konecky/)

> [Only a loving and covenant-making personal God can provide humans with unique dignity, worth, and rights. Blind nature cannot do that. So, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-e-olson/only-a-loving-and-covenant-making-personal-god-can-provide-humans/)

[Roger E. Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-e-olson/)

> [“Mothering Oxymoron: Reminding the kids to not talk with food in their mouths, yet I have food in my mouth while trying to correct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mommy-moo-moo/mothering-oxymoron-reminding-the-kids-to-not-talk-with-food-in-their/)

Mommy Moo Moo

> [Correct thinkers think that 'baseball trivia' is an oxymoron: nothing about baseball is trivial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/correct-thinkers-think-that-baseball-trivia-is-an-oxymoron-nothing/)

[George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/)

> [I personally think intellectual property is an oxymoron. Physical objects have a completely different natural economy than intellectual goods. It's a tricky thing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-personally-think-intellectual-property-is-an-oxymoron-physical/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [A German sense of humor is an oxymoron.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/a-german-sense-of-humor-is-an-oxymoron/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [Independent film is not only an oxymoron; it doesn't exist anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/independent-film-is-not-only-an-oxymoron-it-doesn-t-exist-anymore/)

[Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/)

> [The term 'serious actor' is kind of an oxymoron, isn't it? Like 'Republican party' or 'airplane food.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/the-term-serious-actor-is-kind-of-an-oxymoron-isn-t-it-like/)

[Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/)

> [An honest politician is an oxymoron.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/an-honest-politician-is-an-oxymoron/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Oh, insomnia! Ah, well, I know a good cure for it... Get plenty of sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-c-fields/oh-insomnia-ah-well-i-know-a-good-cure-for-it-get-plenty-of-sleep/)

[W. C. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-c-fields/)

[Browse all 112 Oxymoron quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oxymoron/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Isn't a gay Mormon like an oxymoron?' 'Do I look like an oxymoron to you?' 'An oxymormon.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Ebershoff"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/isn-t-a-gay-mormon-like-an-oxymoron-do-i-look-like-an-oxymoron-to-you/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Oxymoron"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/isn-t-a-gay-mormon-like-an-oxymoron-do-i-look-like-an-oxymoron-to-you/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/david-ebershoff-29756_oxymoron_isn-t-a-gay-mormon-like-an-oxymoron-do-i_2970434.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/david-ebershoff-29756_oxymoron_isn-t-a-gay-mormon-like-an-oxymoron-do-i_2970434.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3a/david-ebershoff-29756_oxymoron_isn-t-a-gay-mormon-like-an-oxymoron-do-i_2970434.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Isn't a gay Mormon like an oxymoron?' 'Do I look like an oxymoron to you?' 'An oxymormon.” — David Ebershoff",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "David Ebershoff",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ebershoff/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Isn't a gay Mormon like an...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/isn-t-a-gay-mormon-like-an-oxymoron-do-i-look-like-an-oxymoron-to-you/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ebershoff/isn-t-a-gay-mormon-like-an-oxymoron-do-i-look-like-an-oxymoron-to-you/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```