From LegalMatch.com:
What Groups are Usually Protected?
The FBI definition of hate crime includes race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and ethnicity/national origin. Different states protect different groups. Some statistics as to what groups are covered are:
- 21 states protect mental and physical disability (including California, New York, and Illinois)
- 29 states and the District of Columbia protect sexual orientation
- 17 states do no explicitly protect sexual orientation (including Colorado, Georgia, and Michigan)
- 4 states do not have hate crime laws (Arkansas, Indiana, South Carolina, and Wyoming)
- 3 states and the District of Columbia provide for tougher penalties for crimes based on political affiliation