… it would put the country out of compliance with its own international human rights obligations,” Nuland said.

Uh, no they wouldn’t be. At least according to the very bill under discussion. To wit:

Part V – Miscellaneous

18. Nullification of inconsistent international treaties, protocols, decelerations and conventions

(1) Any international legal instrument whose provisions are contradictory to the spirit and provisions enshrined in the Act, are null and void to the extent of their inconsistency

So if the further criminalization of homosexuality leads to conflict with international human rights obligations then the Ugandan government will simply legislate those human rights obligations away and pretend they never existed in the first place.

LGBT advocates in Uganda caution that direct threats of cutting aid has in the past sparked backlashes against LGBT people there, and would almost certainly be counterproductive among Ugandan politicians.

I seem to remember these self same Ugandan politicians stating that if it came down to the choice between passing this bill and further criminalizing homosexuality and receiving international aid the Ugandan government would not bow to international pressure and pass the bill regardless of the consequences.

They’ve instead urged the kind of back-channel discussions which appear to be taking place now.

I simply cannot fathom why the United States seems to think that “having a discussion” regarding human rights issues such as this is what is needed. There should be no discussion or negotiations on the subject. The United States simply needs to tell the Ugandan government that if this bill passes in any form then the United States will immediately end all financial and economic aid to Uganda and will issue a travel ban to the country and will also urge all other countries to do the same. Period. End of Discussion.

There should be no negotiations when it comes to Human Rights! The ball is in the Ugandan government’s hand. We’ll just have to see what they are going to do with it.