Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Chad since 2017. Previous to that there were no restrictions. A bill introduced in 2014 aimed to impose up to 20 years imprisonment for consensual same-sex acts. However, on 12 December 2016, the National Assembly passed an updated penal code criminalising both male and female same-sex sexual activity by a vote of 111 to 1, but classing acts between consenting adults as a misdemeanour offence. On 8 May 2017, the new penal code was enacted by the President Idriss Deby. In supporting the law, the former Prime MinisterDelwa Kassiré Coumakoye argued a religious motivation: "Homosexuality is condemned by all religions. We do not have to forgive something that God himself rejects because Westerners have said this or that." His comment was criticized by some LGBT historians who controversially maintain that homophobia was brought to Chad by colonialism, despite the existence of Islamic law in the nation prior to imperial rule. These historians believe that homosexuality was quite commonplace and accepted before the arrival of the Europeans. The US-based Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights called on the President of Chad not to enact the changes to the law, which is linked to a rise in homophobia in Africa in response to the increased visibility and assertiveness of gay lifestyles and politics in Africa, and the engagement of fundamentalist christians. This includes the financing of anti-gay campaigns by American evangelical churches. It became law on 1 August 2017. Chapter II on "Other offenses against decency" of Title VII of the Penal Code, provides as follows: Chapter III on "Offenses of a sexual nature committed against minors" of Title VIII of the Penal Code, provides as follows:
Sexual orientation
Article 350 of the Penal Code provides imprisonment of ten to twenty years when the rape is committed because of the sexual orientation of the victim.
The U.S. Department of State's 2010 Human Rights Report found that "there were no known lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender organizations. There were few reports of violence or discrimination against LGBT persons, in large part because most such persons were discreet about sexual orientation due to social and cultural strictures against homosexuality."
