A Hate Crime is committing any specified offense while selecting a victim in whole or in substantial part because of a belief or perception of that person’s race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation. [...]

Being charged with any specified offense as a Hate Crime increases the level of the offense by 1 level. In other words, if you are charged with an E felony as Hate Crime, you face punishment for a D felony.  Here are the offense levels, [...]