§ 31-18B-2 — Definitions

As used in the Hate Crimes Act: A. "age" means sixty years of age or older; B. "gender identity" means a person's self-perception, or perception of that person by another, of the person's identity as a male or female based upon the person's appearance, behavior or physical characteristics that are in accord or opposed to the person's physical anatomy, chromosomal sex or sex at birth; C. "disability" means that the person has a physical or mental disability that substantially limits one or more of that person's functions, such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working; D. "motivated by hate" means the commission of a crime with the intent to commit the crime because of the actual or perceived race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, handicapped status, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity of the victim, whether or not the offender's belief or perception was correct; and E. "sexual orientation" means heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality, whether actual or perceived.

Legislative History

Laws 2003, ch. 384, § 2; 2007, ch. 46, § 37.