NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) --- North Charleston City Council voted unanimously Thursday night to approve a hate crimes ordinance.  Now, anyone who is convicted of a crime against another person based on ethnicity, nationality, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or physical or mental identity will be guilty of a misdemeanor separate offense in addition to whatever crime they committed against the person.  As a result, that person will have to pay a fine of up to $500 and possible imprisonment of up to 30 days. Also, the ordinance says the sentence must be consecutive to the punishment for the underlying criminal offense unless a court decides otherwise.  The ordinance was first introduced before the city council on April 25. The ordinance goes into immediate effect.  North Charleston is third in the Lowcountry to adopt a hate crime ordinance after Mount Pleasant and Charleston.  Several municipalities are enacting local ordinances because the state of South Carolina has yet to adopt a statewide hate crime law.