Houston’s New Faces of Pride Parade’s New Grand Marshal, Ian Haddock, Empowers the LGBTQ Community

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Ian Haddock became homeless at just 16 years old after his mother kicked him out of the house because he was gay. Today, Ian Haddock leads an organization focused on supporting and empowering Black members within Houston’s LGBTQ+ community.

It wasn’t always easy for Haddock growing up in a religious family in Texas City. He loved fashion, dance, theater and art, but he remembers that he was always made to feel different.

“But I remember the mentality of this little kid, and he really wanted to be normal. He just wanted people to not think of him as crazy,” Haddock said.

In high school, he began experiencing feelings of same-sex attraction towards his best friend. But before he could come out to his family, he says school administrators told his mother the news. When she realized it wasn’t a phase, Haddock says she kicked him out of her house. He was only 16 years old.

“I’ve been alone. I’ve had to figure this out. I’ve had to sleep under the SUBWAY. I’ve had to sleep on couches for years,” Haddock remembers.

That’s when he decided to move to Houston the night of his high school graduation. He says it’s the place that made him feel seen and celebrated for the first time after attending a black gay pride festival.

“I often hear creatives say their dream is to move to New York to make their dreams come true. Well, Houston is my New York. Houston is my home,” Haddock said.

This is the place where Haddock found his passion and life mission. After discovering that one of his close friends was living with HIV, he became an advocate for prevention, awareness and education.

“You see something deeper and you just want people to be better. You see the humanity in people. That’s why I do this work,” Haddock explained.

In 2016, he founded Normal Anomaly, which began as an online blog documenting the stories of the Black LGBTQ+ experience. Since then, the nonprofit has grown into an eight-person team focused on bridging gaps and removing barriers in areas such as health care and business for queer-plus black people.

Haddock said it was his way of giving back to the community that saved him. After being selected this year as the male grand marshal for Houston’s New Faces of Pride parade, he told ABC13 he hopes his story will reach those who are struggling and help them understand they are not alone .

“Visibility is really important to our communities, and so I consider this a huge honor and privilege. I hope I can continue to use platforms like this to unify people and bring them together,” Haddock said.

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