[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by CarolinaPhi

I just copied this from the FBI website:

A hate crime, also known as a bias crime, is a criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin.

It doesn't specify that the crime must be a violent act, just that perpetrator targets a victim because of (in this case) sexual orientation.

This is a very general desdription. Whether an offense actually qualifies as a hate crime will depend on the specific laws of the state where the offense occurred.