The Deputy Director of the National Commission on Culture (NCC), Dr Richardson Commey Fio, has voiced strong disapproval over the rising phenomenon of cross-dressing among male content creators in Ghana, condemning it as a blatant affront to the nation's cultural and moral foundations.

He said Commission is alarmed by the rising number of male influencers, who have publicly embraced female attire in the name of content creation.

The NCC's concerns were sharply intensified by the audacious display at the Ridge Condos All Black Party in Kumasi, where several male content creators boldly stepped out in women's clothing and accessories.

The controversial parade by these cross-dressers at the well-publicised event has been met with outrage by the Commission, which views it as a significant insult to Ghanaian culture, particularly in Kumasi—a city renowned for its deep cultural heritage.

In an interview with Graphic Showbiz, Deputy Executive Director of NCC, Dr, Richardson Commey Fio, expressed deep concern about what he described as a disturbing trend. He said it was troubling to see individuals in the name of content creation promote crossdressing, a practice he said was strongly disapproved of by Ghanaian society.

“It is very disappointing that we continue to experience such behaviours that are an affront to our rich cultural values and norms. And for such an event to happen in Kumasi, one of the leading cities in Ghana where culture and traditions are held in high esteem. This is totally unacceptable.”

“Certain bad elements in our society who want to denigrate our culture and tear down the good moral fibre of our communities for parochial gains always want to hide behind a misleading narrative of globalisation and modernism.”

Dr Fio went on to criticise those who use the guise of globalisation and modernity to justify actions that, in his view, degrade the moral fibre of Ghanaian society.

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“What happened in Kumasi is a total disrespect to our Ghanaian culture and more directly an insult to Otumfou Osei Tutu II, Manhyia and all custodians of culture in the Ashanti Region and Ghana at large,” he stated.

He asserted that, while culture must evolve with the times, people must be vigilant in safeguarding the unique traits of the characteristics of Ghanaian identity, ensuring such unique traits are not unduly compromised. (More articles on NCC: Our efforts must not be in vain —NCC charges musicians to promote Highlife, Forcing Ghanaian musicians to sing in English will suppress our cultural identity – NCC warns)

However, not everyone shares the Commission’s view. In a recent interview on GTV, a malecontent creator, Deaconess Abokoma, whose real name is Ebenezer Arthur, sought to clarify the motivations behind cross-dressing, arguing that it was often misunderstood.

He argued that cross-dressing was often misconstrued and wrongly associated with a hidden agenda. He contended that cross-dressing was frequently misinterpreted and unfairly linked to ulterior motives, emphasising that the notion of cross-dressers being gay was incorrect, as their unconventional attire was driven mainly by its entertainment value.

“We are not gay. We do it for entertainment. We want to assure everyone that we identify as straight and do not identify as gay. For us, dressing up in female outfits and exploring different fashion styles is simply a fun and creative way to entertain people.”

Despite the NCC’s strong stance, Dr Fio admitted to Graphic Showbiz that the Commission currently lacked the legal authority to take direct action against such practices.

He revealed that steps are being taken to amend PNDC Law 238, which established the NCC, to grant the Commission more power to address these issues.

“We are amending PNDC Law 238 which established the Commission. And we believe that when that is done, we will be empowered to deal directly with some of these issues. At the moment, the Commission’s mandate only allows us to condemn such acts and bring them to the attention of the appropriate bodies for the necessary actions to be taken.