We cross-dress to entertain — male content creators

Despite facing some harassment and sometimes being labelled ‘homosexuals’, some male content creators who cross-dress to portray young or elderly women remain unfazed by the backlash.

For these creators, cross-dressing is purely for entertainment and artistic expression and not because they are homosexuals.

“It is unfair and hypocritical for some Ghanaians to judge us just because of our craft. We are actors and our characters stop when the cameras do.

 Many of us have regular jobs, are university graduates, or are still in school,” noted popular TikTok star, Deaconess Abokomah in an interview in Accra with The Mirror last week.

“I think Ghanaians need to change and rather support the industry because we do make a lot of money while still making people laugh,” another popular creator, Demand of Demand and Supply, noted.

These two and another creator, Joshua Bricks, spoke to The Mirror on how they have handled some of the harassment, content inspiration and motivations behind their work.

Handling misconception and harassment

According to these creators, they handled misconceptions and hate comments on their posts by ignoring them.

Deaconess Abokomah, real name Ebenezer Arthur, who often portrays the stereotypical characters of Ghanaian Fanti mothers and elderly women with humour noted that he sometimes confronted the trolls.

“Some will attack you from fake accounts; so sometimes, I have to tell them my peace of mind. I also appreciate my followers who often defend me and my team,” he added.

Joshua Bricks, on the other hand, known for his food content, style of eating and facial expressions, noted that he had dealt with more severe issues.

He recalled a knife attack during which he was stabbed and reported the incident to the police, though the perpetrator was never found. Despite the challenges, he remains unfazed by hate comments.

“I am naturally feminine even in my speech and the way I walk, so I cannot help it. Right now, the only thing I do is braid my hair and even if I stop braiding my hair, I will still be harassed so, I do not bother about their comments. I am doing me and my audience loves it,” he noted.

Joshua, who has nearly one million followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, noted that he charged GH₵ 3,000 per TikTok post and GH₵ 1,000 per Instagram post.

“I get brand deals monthly from food and hair brands. I’m making money, so why focus on the hate?” he added.

Anti-homosexuality stand and potential cross-dressing ban

When asked about their concerns regarding Ghana’s anti-homosexuality bill and potential ban on cross-dressing, the creators said that they were not lawbreakers and were prepared to adapt and change their approach if necessary.

Content inspiration and process

The creators noted that their content was spontaneous and not scripted.

Deaconess Abokomah and Demand and Supply (real names Justice Bempong and Clement Kumi), explained that they only developed themes but once they donned the female clothes, the flow came.

“We typically shoot between 10 to 25 videos on a good day and release them once or twice daily across all platforms,” they noted. 

For Demand and Supply, they only script content for brand collaborations, where they planned and strategised with the brands involved.

For Joshua Bricks, who has been creating content for two years, he had to come up with creative captions or 'points of view' to accompany his “eating videos.”

He also revealed that he never finished the large amounts of food he appeared to eat on camera. 

“I’m actually an ulcer patient and don’t like food much in real life. I eat more when creating content, haha,” he said.

Motivation and income 

Addressing their motivation and income, they noted that it was primarily to entertain and earn money.

They said that their income mainly came from advertisements and brand deals, because social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram did not directly pay creators. 

Deaconess Abokomah noted that he also, on a daily basis, received support from Ghanaians living abroad, who appreciated his humour and contributed to his motivation.

For Deaconess Abokomah and Demand and Supply, cross-dressing has contributed to their success in the industry.

Future goals beyond content creation

Looking into the future, each creator noted their goals beyond content creation. 

Deaconess Abokomah plans to use his Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design from the Takoradi Technical University to pursue job opportunities in his field. 

The Demand and Supply duo aim to expand their teaching careers while launching a new YouTube series.

 Joshua Bricks hopes to further his education in Theatre Arts at the National Film and Television Institute.