LGBTQIA+
Simha Haddad By Autumn Mur r ay
“As someone who is currently discovering their own journey through gen- der and sexuality, I need to say how important LGBTQIA+ literature is. Not only for children or young adults, but also for parents of the members of our community—pieces of work to help guide minds towards empathy, kind- ness, and a sense of chosen family within these books. “Luckily, we are
Simha Haddad
As time went on, she started to think of the spectrum as a rainbow, each color bleeding into the next and then into the next. She had a life-changing epiphany when she realized her belief that we are all part of each other, each individual ray of uniqueness playing its part in creating the larger, beautiful whole. That each of us are just a glimmer of light somewhere on this rainbow. Upon this realization, the idea for her debut novel was born. Somewhere on This Rainbow is an upmarket LGBTQIA+ positive novel. The story unfolds through a multiple points of view narrative that weaves together a coming-of-age story of the lead character (Claire) with the nuanced complexity of gender identity, the natural fluidity of sexuality, and the true meaning of love and friendship. WHAT IS THE OVERALL MESSAGE OF YOUR BOOK? “ Somewhere on This Rainbow boils down to one thing—the only thing that really matters, love,” says Simha Haddad. A portion of the proceeds from Somewhere on This Rainbow will benefit the LGBTQIA+ community, specifically struggling youth. Endorsements for Somewhere on This Rainbow : “All I wanted when I was younger was to feel truly seen through storytelling. I whole-heartedly believe that if you can see it, you can be it. Somewhere on This Rainbow would have helped my younger self immensely, and I know it will help those within our community and those outside of it! Books like these with authors like Simha drive the world forward to a brighter, more loving, and positive place for the future. I can’t wait to share it with my children one day!” – Gigi Gorgeous Getty, Transgender YouTube Star and Author of He Said, She Said, Lessons, Stories, and Mistakes from My Trans- gender Journey
in a time where queer terminology and language have grown. It is time to put this on paper in stories for the world to see.”—August Getty, Non-binary Fashion Designer and GLAAD Ambassador “ Somewhere on This Rainbow has been one of my fa- vorite reads since Memoirs of a Geisha. Firstly, as a reader, I love Simha’s effortless way that she intertwines these complex relationships. The life lessons in this book are important, but never in-your-face. She successfully de- picts a multi-sided perspective that leaves you with the enlightened takeaway that not everything is as it may seem through one person’s eyes. Everyone comes with different life experiences, and it is through those experi- ences that we filter and process everything we see. “It was such a pleasure to read about and feel rep- resented by a main character in a book. The more writ- ers/allies like Simha, the more chances WE have to reach that one child with the same thoughts of their unknown brothers and sisters out there who think the same, until they see their first person JUST LIKE THEM so that the voice that told them they were alone says, “no you are not.” That’s what I needed, and that is what WE ALL deserve.” – Markus Molinari, Transgender LGBTQIA+ Human Rights Activist, Prominent Restaurateur, GLAAD and Trevor Project Ambassador. Haddad lives in California with her husband, toddler son, and two diva dogs. She looks forward to continuing her writing career and making sure that the members of the LGBTQIA+ community have a leading voice in the literary world.
Photos courtesy Simha Haddad
Photo by Jenn Collins
S imha Haddad is an openly pansexual writer, actor, and retired international fashion model. Her background includes a deep passion for books, classical music, and travel. Haddad took time out of her busy schedule in Los Angeles to give us an inside look into how she got the inspiration to write her new novel Somewhere on This Rainbow which comes out in the first quarter of 2022. When Haddad was a teenager struggling with defin- ing her sexuality, a very wise school therapist explained the spectrum theory to her. “The therapist told me to picture a color spectrum in my mind and imagine one end being very heterosexual and the other end being very homosexual. She said that most people fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, and I knew immediately that I did too.”
Follow Simha Haddad on Instagram | SimhaHaddad.com
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