Hate-crime protections are laws that treat an offence more seriously when it is motivated by bias against someone’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. When a crime—such as assault, vandalism, or threats—is proven to be bias-motivated, prosecutors can request tougher penalties or judges can add extra time to a sentence. The aim is to recognise the broader harm these attacks inflict on the LGBTQ community and to deter would-be offenders.

The scope of these protections varies widely. Some regions limit them to violent crimes, while others include property damage, harassment, or even hateful speech. Many modern laws now list both sexual orientation and gender identity as protected characteristics, though older statutes sometimes cover only one or the other. Enforcement remains uneven: bias can be hard to prove, victims may be reluctant to report, and police training on identifying hate crimes is inconsistent. Even so, more jurisdictions are updating their legal codes and data-collection practices, signalling a growing recognition that bias-motivated violence requires a distinct, stronger response.