U.S. Sanctions Uganda because They Punish Homosexual Acts Much Less Severely than Saudi Arabia

Uganda can’t complain that John Kerry didn’t warn them about allowing the Bible to inform their laws and their morality. Despite the fact that Saudi Arabia punishes homosexuals far more severely, Uganda is on the receiving end of a sanctions campaign. 

From Yahoo News:

The United States on Thursday cut aid to Uganda, imposed visa restrictions and canceled a regional military exercise in response to a Ugandan law that imposes harsh penalties on homosexuality.

The White House said in a statement the measures were intended to "reinforce our support for human rights of all Ugandans regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity."

Homosexuality is taboo in most African countries and illegal in 37, including in Uganda where it has been a crime since British rule. 

Just curious, but what about the right of a nation to determine its own laws? Is the Ugandan parliament supposed to tell all its Christian and Moslem voters to get stuffed because they were elected to office to do the bidding of the U.S. State Department? Is that our foreign policy now?
Since this law has been in place for so long, why is it now provoking such a reaction?

Part of the reason is that a new law was passed:

Uganda's new law, signed by President Yoweri Museveni in February, imposes jail terms of up to life for "aggravated homosexuality" which includes homosexual sex with a minor or while HIV-positive.

So we’re sanctioning a country for penalizing child molestation and murder through an infectious disease? I constantly hear that AIDS is overwhelming Africa. Naturally, a government would want to outlaw people from intentionally spreading it.

The good news is that, so far, Uganda is unbowed.

In Kampala, a government official asked about the U.S. measures said that Uganda would not alter its decision to toughen laws against homosexuals.

"Uganda is a sovereign country and can never bow to anybody or be blackmailed by anybody on a decision it took in its interests, even if it involves threats to cut off all financial assistance," government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said.

We are dictating Uganda’s internal policy. They aren’t going to take it