Don Andrade, co-host of The Hitched Apologists, said on the Chile Wire podcast that following concerns raised by a school board speech, they compiled a guide documenting more than 125 sexually explicit books currently circulating.
"We have a ministry. We're called the hitched apologists because we're married hitched. And apologetics is just essentially a word, you know, to describe we defend the Christian faith by providing good evidence," said Andrade. "We got more than a 125 as as the title of the guide goes. That guide is very user friendly, so in the front of it, we have schools by by district and which books are in those schools. Exposure to sexually explicit media, including books and graphic novels, is associated with unsafe sex, multiple sexual partners, and early sexual debut."
A married couple, known as the "Hitched Apologists," developed a detailed guide available both online and in print. This guide organizes titles by district, notes whether books have been checked out or never returned, and includes sample excerpts for parents to review. According to the Chile Wire podcast, their goal is to equip families with clear information so they can understand what content is available to children. Many parents assume schools only provide high-quality educational material. By creating and distributing this guide, they aim to raise awareness and spark conversations in households and at school board meetings about what is appropriate for students.
The podcast also reports that the couple’s guide has had a direct impact on state politics in New Mexico. It was shared widely with legislators during debates over two controversial bills, HB 27 and SB 552, which sought to protect explicit materials in public schools and libraries. Lawmakers received hundreds of copies of the guide, and its detailed documentation of book content reportedly played a role in halting the bills, which eventually died on the floor. Since then, the movement has spread beyond Albuquerque, with parents in Las Cruces, Rio Rancho, and Socorro working on similar guides for their local schools. Supporters hope this decentralized effort will empower more communities across New Mexico to audit their libraries and push for age-appropriate policies.
A rigorous longitudinal study published in PLOS ONE found that early adolescent exposure to sexually explicit media—including books and graphic content—was strongly associated with risky sexual behaviors in emerging adulthood. These behaviors include early sexual debut, unsafe sex, and multiple sexual partners. The study documented a dose–response relationship indicating that exposure across multiple media types magnified the risk.
Don and Damara Andrade are the husband-and-wife duo behind The Hitched Apologists, a Christian apologetics podcast and ministry dedicated to defending the faith through biblical evidence, personal testimony, and cultural engagement.
