Salon's article goes into detail on how this is being blown WAY out of proportion, does not reflect his values, and also is not being understood fully for what he intended. Here're the counterpoints:
'In 2003, Sanders was among 32 co-sponsors of the Prison Rape Elimination Act, a measure to “establish a zero-tolerance standard” for sexual violence in prison. (The measure passed unanimously, but enforcement has been weak in the last decade.)
In 2011, Sanders co-sponsored a measure to address the rape kit backlog. Here’s how Sen. Dianne Feinstein, another of the bill’s co-sponsors, explained the measure: ”Thousands of rape kits sit untested in police storage facilities nationwide. This is lost justice for rape victims. Testing DNA evidence in rape kits is a crucial tool to help law enforcement arrest and prosecute rapists. The Justice for Survivors of Sexual Assault Act will make sure that victims are no longer denied the necessary tools for justice.”
In 2012, Sanders co-sponsored the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act. Here’s how he explained that vote: “The act has been extremely successful in Vermont and across the country. While we are reducing the incidence of domestic violence, much more has to be done. Too many girls and women are still suffering from domestic violence and sexual abuse and that must end.”
In 2013, he called on the Department of Veterans Affairs to “step up efforts to provide care and benefits for veterans who experienced sexual assault in the military“ so that they “receive the care and benefits needed to confront the emotional and physical consequences of this horrific experience.”
In 2014, Sanders voted for New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s proposal to move the system of reporting and prosecuting rape in the military outside the chain of command. When that bill failed, Sanders issued the following statement about rape:
An estimated 26,000 service members were sexually assaulted in 2012, a 37 percent increase in just one year, according to a recent Department of Defense study. I voted for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s bill because it would give servicemen and women an independent route outside the chain of command to report serious crimes, and I am disappointed that it was defeated… I also supported a separate measure by Sen. Claire McCaskill that includes some important reforms, but remain concerned that it does not go far enough. Victims of rape and sexual assault in the military deserve a fair and independent system outside the chain of command to report these types of crimes.
And just last month, Sanders balked at the GOP budget proposal because, among other programs put on the chopping block, it would slash funds for domestic violence service providers. He said at the time that “funding to help victims of domestic violence in Vermont could be slashed by more than $270,000, including funding for the STOP Violence Against Women Program that helps states provide support services for victims of domestic violence.”'