Once upon a time, 1506 wrote:

If I am mugged it is a crime. If a homosexual is mugged it is a hate
crime.

I don't know about the USA but in UK parlance I don't think that's quite
right.

If someone is mugged because they are gay, they yes, it's a hate crime.
But if someone is mugged just because the mugger wanted a new phone or
some cash, with no regard to the LGBT or otherwise status of their
victim, it's just a mugging.

Though muggings are abhorrent, regardless of motive.

As I understand it to get a hate crime charge to stand up in court the
prosecutors must be able to prove that the victim was targeted because
of a personal feature (colour, orientation, whatever), rather than just
having been robbed and happening to be gay / black / etc. This normally
required some evidence that the attacker chose their target for that
feature. Easier with skin colour than sexual orientation but still
provable if the necessary evidence can be found.

--
- The Iron Jelloid