Protocols affect the exercise of their civil, political, economic, social , and cultural rights. Human Rights workers must at all times strive to make the investigation process a safe and nonthreatening process for persons with diverse SOGIE. 4) Investigators and lawyers are also urged to examine their own bias, prejudice, religious beliefs, their competencies/limitations in dealing with the human rights of persons with diverse SOGIE, and how these will eventually affect how the investigation of cases involving persons with diverse SOGIE will be handled. As pointed by APA, in order to work effectively with issues related to gender non-conformity (persons with diverse SOGIE/ LGBTI), there is a need for service providers to be aware of their own values and biases regarding sex, gender, and sexual orientation164. As applied to investigators and lawyers handling human rights complaints from persons with diverse SOGIE, it may be pointed out that there is a need for self-examination regarding one’s beliefs, values, negative attitudes towards homosexuality, and heterosexist bias and how such attitude will directly affect the kind of service that lawyers and investigators will render towards complainants with diverse SOGIE. 5) There is a need to reiterate the basic human rights principle that every person is born equal in dignity and rights, including persons with diverse SOGIE. There is a need to acknowledge that homosexuality and bisexuality are not mental illnesses but are part and parcel of the diversity of human sexuality. Investigators and lawyers are called to be “aware of and respect cultural, individual, and role differences, including those due to...sexual orientation… and try to eliminate the effect on their work of biases based on [such] factors165” 164 American Psychological Association (APA) Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Clients (18-20 February 2011) 165 Id 105 6) To better serve complainants/ victim-survivors who are persons with diverse SOGIE, there a need for human rights workers to (a) learn how to distinguish sexual orientation from gender identity; (b) understand that the notions of sexual orientation and gender identity are fluid, (c) recognize the challenges related to multiple and often conflicting norms, values, and beliefs faced by persons of diverse SOGIE who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups, (d) conduct continuing training on the human rights of persons with diverse SOGIE, particularly in dealing with complaints for discrimination. Pre-Interview As much as possible, only CHR personnel who have received appropriate training on LGBT issues and in handling cases involving persons with diverse SOGIE/LBGT persons shall be assigned to conduct interviews and investigations involving persons with diverse SOGIE/LGBTI. CHR personnel who are to conduct the interview and investigation proceedings should prepare by: a) First examining their own personal beliefs as these can be sources of misunderstanding and may alienate the subject interviewee and thus have a negative impact on the interview and investigation. b) Anticipate that the interviewee has had previous experiences with discrimination / apathy at the personal and institutional levels and may be especially sensitive to signs of bias. c) Ensure that the venue where the interview will be held is in a neutral, non-threatening or “affirmative” setting that will allow the interviewee to feel comfortable and free in expressing him/herself. d) Disclosure of one’s sex at birth, while mandatory for purposes of accurately reflecting statistics, disclosure of gender identity should be optional. This is pursuant to the recognition that gender identity and sexual orientation CHR Gender Ombud Guidelines