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According to RAINN
(https://www.rainn.org/members-congress)
Senator Richard Blumenthal http://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/ -- "RAINN is a critical ally in the fight to help victims of sexual assault and violence. I share their commitment to eradicating these heinous crimes by providing survivors with a vast network of support and resources to ensure that they are kept safe and have the tools to recover emotionally and physically. As a long-time advocate against sexual violence, I look forward to continuing to work with RAINN on efforts to bolster prevention, education, and enforcement to ensure a safe and healthy environment for women and families in Connecticut and across the country. " He is a Democratic Senator in Connecticut.

Representative Robert Aderholt https://aderholt.house.gov/ -- "Preventing sexual assault is an important cause that every American should learn more about and find ways to support. As the largest anti-sexual assault organization in America, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is an outstanding organization that helps millions of helpless victims through counseling for women and influencing policy and, as a member of Congress and an American, I am proud to support this compassionate program." He is a republican representative in Alabama

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Supreme Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh vs Christine Blasey Ford
History goes back to when they were at a high school party.

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SAFER (Students Active For Ending Rape) Empowers student movements to combat sexual violence on college campuses. The website provides statistics and research to support other movements.

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According to CNN, 23% of female college students have experienced unwanted sexual conduct while attending college. In 2014, while former President Obama was attending an awareness campaign, he stated that 1 in 5 students will be sexually assaulted.
https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/28/health/campus-rape-book-author-cnntv/index.html

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Does the 14th Amendment help us in a case of sexual assault?

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As a civil rights attorney, I am very familiar with the Constitution. I examine and work within its parameters every day. However, I find the silence in our Constitution regarding the topic of women's equality baffling at best. Many people throughout the history of our nation have tried to rectify this situation. While they've ignited a firestorm of debate centered around the Equal Rights Amendment -- or lack thereof -- the status of women in regard to our Constitution remains murky.

Opponents to the ERA often argue the 14th Amendment and Title VII of the Civil Rights Amendment make ratifying the ERA unnecessary. This narrative has been cited repeatedly by many, but it is unequivocally false.

Women are not guaranteed equal rights in our country. It is not explicitly stated in the Constitution, members of our Supreme Court have literally said the 14th Amendment does not prohibit discrimination based on sex, and Title VII, just a law, has been interpreted into having no teeth and can easily be undone if those in charge lack the political will to protect it.

This makes women's equality vulnerable at best. The failure to ratify the ERA leaves women with a grabbag of bits and pieces of various amendments and laws, leaving their perceived rights open to the varied interpretation of a government mostly comprised of men -- and often very ideologically extreme men at that.

This lack of representation forces women to, instead, rely on their elected officials for inclusion and protection. But if the current sexual harassment crisis is any indicator, many of those elected officials think of women as objects, even at times as prey, rather than human beings to be treated equally.

And, as history shows, relying on the goodwill of politicians and judges to protect Title VII and to interpret the 14th Amendment in favor of women is not a safe bet.

For example, ERA opponents claim Title VII already provides for gender equality in the workplace, and, hypothetically, they are correct. However, in reality, Title VII offers little assurance. Case in point, under Title VII, the plaintiff has the burden of proof -- she must prove to the courts she was the victim of wage discrimination because of her gender. But that discrimination often takes years to discover. Then, after it has been discovered, it can be time consuming and very costly to prove. I mean, how many workers have the money to take on massive corporations like Walmart and its army of lawyers?

Further, Title VII is ever-changing: the law as it is interpreted today, may not be the law as it is interpreted tomorrow. As the battles over laws and regulations like the Affordable Care Act, the Paris Climate Accords, the Wage Data Rule, Net Neutrality and tax reform prove, Congress often chooses to protect its own agenda by gutting anything standing in its way and that could include a pesky little law like Title VII.

As far as the 14th Amendment is concerned, it only takes one look at the political rhetoric being spread to see how many male politicians feel about women's rights and women in general. For example, former Texas Gubernatorial Candidate Clayton William had this to say: " Rape is kinda like the weather. If it is inevitable, relax and enjoy it." Or from former Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum who said rape victims " should make the best of a bad situation. " Perfect examples of why sexual harassment and rape culture are alive and well today. But couple that with an underlying belief that the Constitution does not apply to gender based discrimination as former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia stated publicly and you can see how even the 14th Amendment doesn't really protect women. Here is what Scalia said:
"...Certainly the Constitution does not require discrimination on the basis of sex. The only issue is whether it prohibits it. It doesn't. Nobody ever thought that that's what it meant. Nobody ever voted for that..."
While the late Justice Scalia no longers sits on the bench, his particular brand of Strict Constitutionalism is not unique. Trump-appointee, Justice Neil Gorsuch, with his record of voting in favor of big corporations like Hobby Lobby and against women, might prove to be even more damaging than Justice Scalia.

In this nation, the headlines are dominated by stories of sexual harassment and assault. As many as 42 million women and their children live below the poverty line. Discrimination is rampant. Income inequality is a major problem, costing our economy (that's women and men) millions of dollars every year -- $176 million in Wichita alone . So, when we claim to be the beacon of democracy with liberty and justice for all, leaving 51 percent of the nation's citizenry unprotected is unfathomable.

Gender equality is more than the 24 words of the ERA being put to paper. Gender equality is mandatory for meeting the challenges of reducing poverty, growing the economy and creating a government that is truly of the people, for the people, by the people. Also, it is important to note, gender equality isn't about taking rights away from men, but extending those same right to women. As Susan B. Anthony said, "Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less."

The ERA won't fix all of our problems. Sexism and patriarchy are nearly ingrained into our society. But it is a giant leap in the right direction. I mean, how can we begin to right the wrongs of decades long pass when women still, in 2017, aren't recognized by our Constitution? How can we end the good ol' boys clubs, stop the pervasiveness of rape culture, eliminate domestic violence and eradicate human trafficking when we have failed to summon up the political will to include " equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex " in the Constitution?

We simply cannot rely on narrative that Title VII and the 14th Amendment protect women's rights and offer gender equality. We must continue the fight started all those years ago by Alice Paul and the other suffragists. We must finally pass the ERA.

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Why Title VII and the 14th Amendment Aren't Enough.

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As a civil rights attorney, I am very familiar with the Constitution. I examine and work within its parameters every day. However, I find the silence in our Constitution regarding the topic of women's equality baffling at best. Many people throughout the history of our nation have tried to rectify this situation.

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https://stanfordpolitics.org/2018/01/31/sexual-violence-cover-story/
If you click on this link, it will show you a history of the sexual assault at Stanford University over the last 50 years!

This graph below reviews the number of reported assaults on Stanford's campus from 1980-1990, according to this graph there is no specific trend of sexual assaults, just lows and highs.

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The Me Too Movement is a website about a group of sexual assault survivors (mainly black women and young girls) who are trying to help others heal. Click on the link to learn more.

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1 in 10 elderly persons suffer abuse, including sexual abuse, within a one year period. Among those aged 60 and over, the lifetime prevalence of sexual assault is 7%.

Source | Acierno, Ron & Hernandez-Tejada, Melba & Amstadter, Ananda & Resnick, Heidi & Steve, Kenneth & Muzzy, Wendy & Kilpatrick, Dean. (2009). Prevalence and Correlates of Emotional, Physical, Sexual, and Financial Abuse and Potential Neglect in the United States: The National Elder Mistreatment Study. American journal of public health. 100. 292-7. 10.2105/AJPH.2009.163089.

1 in 10 youth detained in juvenile facilities experience sexual assault or sexual abuse while in custody.

Source | Beck, A. J. (2014). PREA data collection activities, 2014. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics.

1 in 4 women have experienced rape or attempted rape during their lifetimes, according to several national U.S. surveys.

Source | Fisher et al. 2000; Koss et al. 1987; Tjaden and Thoennes 2000

Fisher, B. S., Cullen, F. T., & Turner, M. G. (2000). The sexual victimization of college women (NCJ Publication No. 182369). Washington DC: U.S. Department of Justice.

Koss, M. P., Gidycz, C. A., &Wisniewski, N. (1987). The scope of rape: Incidence and prevalence of sexual aggression and victimization in a national sample of higher education students. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 162-170.

Tjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. (2000). Full report of the prevalence, incidence, and consequences of violence against women: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey (NCJ Publication No. 183781). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.

1 in every 5 survivors of confirmed sexual abuse in ICE detention is transgender even though trans people make up only 1 in 500 people detained by ICE.

Source | Guitierrez, Jennicet (June 25, 2015). "I interrupted President Obama because we need to be heard," Washington Blade.

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1 in 10 elderly persons suffer abuse, including sexual abuse, within a one year period. Among those aged 60 and over, the lifetime prevalence of sexual assault is 7%. Source | Acierno, Ron & Hernandez-Tejada, Melba & Amstadter, Ananda & Resnick, Heidi & Steve, Kenneth & Muzzy, Wendy & Kilpatrick, Dean.

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Newer News on Sexual Assaults on College Campus

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Newer News on Sexual Assaults on College Campus

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These charts from the office of sexual misconduct response for U of I(https://osmrc.uiowa.edu/file/4-year-comparison-sexual-assault-reports-receivedpng-0) show an increase in sexual assault reports from 2013-2016, just over doubling the amount of reports in a four year time frame.

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4-year comparison - sexual assault reports received_0

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Christine Blasey Ford make accusations against Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch. This is not true. This shortly came out after the deal with Brett Kavanaugh was released.

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Q: Did Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, make similar allegations against Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch? A: No. There's no evidence for that rumor, which has been spread on conservative websites.
FULL ANSWER

There is no evidence to substantiate an online rumor that Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, ever lodged a similar allegation against Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Nevertheless, that claim has boomeranged across social media platforms and websites - creating an impression that Ford, the California professor whose story has disrupted Kavanaugh's confirmation process, made repeated allegations in an effort to derail the confirmations of conservative Supreme Court picks.

Gorsuch was confirmed in 2017 after being nominated by President Donald Trump.

"BREAKING: According to sources Diane Feinstein's reluctance to mention the Kavanaugh accuser's letter during confirmation session is because the accuser sent a similiar letter directed at Judge Gorsuch last year. The whereabouts of the earlier letter remain a mystery.developing," Josh Cornett, a pro-Trump Twitter user, posted Sept. 18.

Nearly 9,000 people retweeted the post. Cornett said in a subsequent tweet that he had "no idea" if it was true.

The baseless assertion made its way onto conservative websites, gaining traction online alongside other falsehoods about Ford. In some cases, the supposed Gorsuch accusation was dropped in the form of a question or with a caveat, but nevertheless spread as if credible.

"Rape Accuser Allegedly Sent Feinstein SAME Letter Last Year - About Someone Else," declares the Sept. 19 headline on madworldnews.com.

The article goes on to name Gorsuch and cites a story from theblacksphere.net, the website of political commentator and Fox News contributor Kevin Jackson.

Feinstein, a Democratic senator from California, received a July letter from Ford about her allegations against Kavanaugh, which the senator later provided to the FBI. Kavanaugh has said the allegations are "completely false." Feinstein's office disputed the idea that she received a previous allegation by Ford against Gorsuch. A spokesman, Tom Mentzer, told us in an email: "That is false."

Jackson's article on theblacksphere.net advanced the rumor with a story headlined (with a noticeably absent question mark): "Did Kavanaugh Accuser Send SAME Letter About Gorsuch."

But the post - which describes Ford as a "poster child" who is "part of the plot to bring down men" - suggests the possibility carries weight.

After citing Cornett's tweet, Jackson writes: "As Josh Cornett suggests, the mystery is developing. But I wouldn't be surprised."

Other websites carried the claim with caveats. "There are rumblings that Ford also of abuse," a Gateway Pundit article accused Gorsuch said. "But there is no evidence to support this."

Well-known conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh used a similar approach.

"I want to share some things with you that may be fake news, but if they're not fake, I want to be on record as having had them for you. There's a Twitter thread out there. I have no idea the veracity because, as you know, I do not 'twit,'" a Sept. 18 post on his website reads. "But this particular thread claims that the reason that Dianne Feinstein was reluctant to go public with Christine Blasey Ford's letter is because she received a similar letter from the woman about Judge Gorsuch."

It added: "No idea whether this is fake news or true."

It's the former.
Editor's note: FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on the social media network.
Sources

Brown, Emma. " California professor, writer of confidential Brett Kavanaugh letter, speaks out about her allegation of sexual assault." Washington Post. 16 Sep 2018.

Diserio, Rebecca. " Rape Accuser Allegedly Sent Feinstein SAME Letter Last Year - About Someone Else." Madworldnews.com. 19 Sep 2018.

Hoft, Jim. " Christine Blasey Ford Has Record of Questionable Integrity - Kavanaugh and Gorsuch Went to Same School." The Gateway Pundit. 18 Sep 2018.

Jackson, Kevin. " Did Kavanaugh Accuser Send SAME Letter About Gorsuch." Theblacksphere.net. 18 Sep 2018.

Mentzer, Tom. Spokesman for Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Email sent to FactCheck.org. 21 Sep 2018.

" Two Rumors That Could Be Fake News But Ring True." Rushlimbaugh.com. 18 Sep 2018.

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Baseless Claim Tells of Gorsuch Accusation - FactCheck.org

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Q: Did Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, make similar allegations against Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch? A: No. There's no evidence for that rumor, which has been spread on conservative websites.