#MeToo goes viral on social media as women raise voice against sexual abuse

A hashtag #MeToo is trending big time on social media, with several women posting their stories of sexual assault using the same hashtag. Women on Twitter are tweeting dismaying accounts of the sexual harassment they faced, in order to bring the enormousness of the problem in light. 

The trend began on Sunday after Hollywood actress Alyssa Milano tweeted a post that read "Suggested by a friend: If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote "Me too" as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem."

If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet. pic.twitter.com/k2oeCiUf9n

— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) October 15, 2017

This tweet of Milano went viral and was shared by many on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to highlight how widespread sexual abuse against woman is in society. Thousands of Twitter users changed their status to #MeToo.  .

Men also expressed their support by posting tweets.

This trend comes days after #WomenBoycottTwitter went viral. Women shunned the social networking site, objecting to the suspension of actress Rose McGowan's account. McGowan’s account was temporarily suspended after she used the platform to speak out against sexual assault in Hollywood. Twitter revoked the "Screamed" actor's page for flouting its set of rules for 12 hours after she posted a series of tweets accusing actor Ben Affleck of lying about his knowledge of media mogul Harvey Weinstein's history of sexual misconduct. 

Here are some of the posts on the hashtag #MeToo:
 

any girl whos ever used public transport in India - local buses/trains has been a victim of sexual molestation & harassment. #MeToo

— Suchitra (@suchitrak) October 16, 2017

Me too.Had to think about whether what I've experienced "counts".This is part of the problem.Of course it counts.It's ok to speak up.#MeToo

— Rachel Eskenazi-Gold (@rachel_eg) October 16, 2017

men i knew, men i didn’t know, men I worked with, men i didn’t work with, a man in my own family, men i trusted #metoo

— Best Coast (@BestCoast) October 16, 2017

To marginalized groups who experience sexual violence & don't report b/c the system was not made to protect you, your voice matters. #MeToo

— Venkayla Haynes (@VenkaylaHaynes) October 16, 2017

Have you ever pretended to talk on your phone when passing a group of guys so they think you're too busy to harass or catcall? Yeah.. #MeToo

— Kaitlin Sorensen (@kaitsorensen) October 16, 2017

Survivors who are black women, disabled, or a part of the LGBTQ community who are excluded out these conversations your story matters #MeToo

— Venkayla Haynes (@VenkaylaHaynes) October 16, 2017

#MeToo Earliest I can remember- me and a friend were 12, in a shop (In our school uniform) and 2 men followed us telling us we would (1/2)

— Phoebe Rose White (@PhoebeRoseWhite) October 16, 2017

Sexually harassed in basically every restaurant I ever worked in. kinda just learned to talk shit back and just roll with it, cause I mean what else was I gonna do... #MeToo

— Theresa Stone (@teamstonester) October 16, 2017

When you get told all your life to stand up for yourself, and when you do, you’re told “it’s all in your head, stop making it up”.#metoo

— Jen Barnes (@JenBarnes007) October 16, 2017

We shouldn't have to come out, to produce more evidence - we carry evidence, it is written on our bodies. This is magnitude. #MeToo

— Ghiwa Sayegh (@feministswrite) October 16, 2017

#MeToo and I don’t want pity or sympathy, I just want it never to happen to anyone ever again.

— Leah Nagarpowers (@leahnp613) October 16, 2017

To everyone who has a #MeToo whether you've chosen to share it or not; it's not your fault, you're not 'overreacting', #believewomen

— Rachael Green (@RachaelGreen) October 16, 2017

Regarding boys and men as rape survivors:

I thought of turning this into a thread, but I think it's better read as a whole.#MeToo pic.twitter.com/wYcLbtukJZ

— Charles Clymer (@cmclymer) October 15, 2017