Founder and executive director of the Normal Anomaly Initiative Ian L. Haddock says his work is based on a quote from Bayard Rustin: “The only weapon we have is our bodies, and we need to tuck them in places so wheels don’t turn.” Haddock’s Texas-based organization is “dedicated to eliminating barriers and creating new norms centering the Black LGBTQ+ community throughout the South,” he says.
Something that made him proud in 2025 was that a youth who is like family to him, on turning 17, came out to him as transgender. “It has been my honor and privilege to be there to support them and empower them to be their authentic self,” says Haddock, a Black queer man.
His biggest challenge was losing half the group’s budget after January 20, which brought on a mental health crisis, but he found ways to deal with it. In the coming year, the Normal Anomaly will focus on a new transitional housing initiative.
The message he sends is “to act courageously” and “be bravely visible.” @ianlhaddock
