Drawing from the findings on sexual minority and gender diverse (SMGD) concerns and relationships across the 12 countries included in this volume, this chapter provides a summary of the implications for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers. Although the countries are diverse with respect to SMGD-related rights and protections, a review of their results suggests that research focused on the impact of distal minority stressors and structural stigma on the well-being of SGD people is needed. Also, SMGD people continue to experience minority stressors and relationship challenges related to structural stigma and are in need of clinical interventions that are culturally responsive and take into account structural stigma, particularly for the most vulnerable subgroups within SMGD populations (i.e., bisexual, transgender, and gender diverse identified people). Finally, chapter findings have implications for influencing policy, including focusing prevention efforts directly on family and relationship concerns, developing initiatives to reduce minority stress, and strategizing mechanisms to advance SMGD people’s human rights and access to SMGD-affirmative quality care and treatment.

People who experience their sexual orientation as different from heterosexual (or straight) and/or their gender identity as different from cisgender (i.e. matching their biological assigned sex), and their families, continue to face significant challenges in many societies. Rainbow people and families are likely to need various forms of assistance from social and health services, for issues including those discussed in this chapter. Different terms have been used to identify this population. Over several years the abbreviation LGB (lesbian, gay and bisexual) has been successively expanded to LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, plus), as more diverse groups have demanded recognition. Nevertheless, even recent literature utilises various combinations of these initials. Moreover, it seems that rainbow people are increasingly using non-traditional and diverse ways of describing their gender and sexual identities. The rainbow has been recognised as a symbol of LGBTQIA+ pride for decades, and can represent support and safety for sexual and gender diverse young people.