LAT touts "hate" crime bill

The LAT editorializes this morning in favor of "hate" crime legislation, which would provide stiffer punishment for crimes against gays and lesbians than crimes against heterosexuals. This is a snake pit. Why should crimes against any segment of the population justify greater punishment than crimes against any other? Are we not all equal in the eyes of the law?

If there are more crimes against blacks than non-blacks, should crimes against blacks be punished more severely? If here are more crimes in New Jersey, say, than Alabama, should crimes in New Jersey be punished, under federal law, more severely? Shouldn't federal law apply equally in all the States? If a gay is robbed and a straight murdered, should the robbery be more severely punished?

Who or what is a gay? A lesbian? Is there a blood test that proves gayness? A urinalysis? Is a gay one who has engaged in homosexual acts? One who has homosexual tendencies? One who feels homosexual? Is a bi-sexual a gay or lesbian? A transsexual? Can a criminal know by looking? If a crime is committed against a gay who was thought to be straight, is that a hate crime? Suppose the victim is straight but thought to be gay, is that a hate crime?