Michael Paramo
American writer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Paramo is an American writer, academic, and artist. He founded the literary magazine Aze in 2016.[1][2][3] His research examines human sexuality, romance, love, interpersonal attraction, and gender.[3] He published a book Ending the Pursuit in 2024.[4][5]
Michael Paramo | |
|---|---|
Paramo in 2024. | |
| Born | 1993 (age 32–33) |
| Alma mater | California State University, Fullerton |
| Notable work | Aze |
| Website | https://azejournal.com/mxparamo |
Early life
Paramo is of Mexican American descent and grew up in Southern California.[2][3] He attended California State University, Fullerton and studied American Studies.[6]
Career
Aze
Paramo created the literary journal Aze in 2016 (originally known as The Asexual).[7] He authored several essays that were published on the platform, including on the whiteness of the asexual community,[8] the split attraction model.[9][10] and the coloniality of gender.[11][12] Paramo's writing was referenced in regard to the visibility of asexual people of color in Communication Education and the Journal of Folklore Research.[13][14]
Paramo interviewed Pragati Singh on Aze in 2018 on the subject of asexual awareness in India.[15] The magazine also reached 10,000 followers on Twitter.[16] In 2019, the magazine's name changed from The Asexual to Aze.[17][18]
Book
In 2019, Paramo was interviewed by Tristan Taormino on asexuality, aromanticism, and agender identity for a book he was writing.[4] He began attending the University of British Columbia as a PhD student in the Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice program.[19]
Paramo published Ending the Pursuit: Asexuality, Aromanticism, and Agender Identity with Unbound in 2024, which questioned social norms of sex, romance, and gender.[3][20] Academic Ela Przybyło wrote "Paramo refuses to take for granted the normalized ideas we are fed around how relationships should work and what they should look like."[21] In an interview for Geeks OUT, Paramo spoke to the inclusion of poetry in the book as a hybrid method of interweaving critical and creative expressions.[5]
Research
Paramo was referred to by ITV's platform Planet Woo as "one of the globe's leading aro academics" in 2024.[3] His concept of azeness was described as a politics of refusing settler colonial norms of sexuality, romance, and gender or cisheteropatriarchy.[22] A 2025 article in Sexualities wrote that he linked asexuality with "wider critiques of white supremacy, heteronormativity and neoliberalism."[23]
Personal life
Paramo identifies on the asexual and aromantic spectrum.[18][24] He also creates visual art and music.[5]