On Friday, Anthony Allen Ramos, GLAAD’s Head of Talent, chatted with Jim and Sasha Allen who just advanced in the blind rounds on NBC’s The Voice, making it onto Team Ariana!
Watch the interview here.
Sasha talks about his journey as a trans man and how wonderful it is to have the support from his father, Jim and the rest of his family. Their story is sure to resonate and connect with many families who watch the series. The two also talk about how exciting it is to work with #ArianaGrande who has been such a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ community.
Jim grew up playing in various folk and bluegrass bands and went on to become a music teacher and then a father. He taught his son how to play guitar at 6 years old and soon after, Sasha was joining Jim on stage at his gigs. Sasha didn’t have an easy childhood, but music was always the constant that kept him going. At the start of high school, Sasha came out as transgender. Those were difficult years, but Sasha knew with the support of his family and music he could handle anything. Jim and Sasha, both songwriters, have recently become an official duo and have been playing at open mics and other local venues. Outside of music, Sasha is an avid artist and makes money selling his drawings.
The Voice airs on NBC on Mondays & Tuesdays at 8pm ET.