Members of the Restorative Rainbow Alliance (RRA), an LGBTIQA2S+ led alliance, highlight
the specific needs of and challenges facing LGBTIQA2S+ individuals participating in
RJ processes and present the RRA Facilitator Code of Conduct among other guidelines
to support their participation. This webinar explores the importance of LGBTIQA2S+
representation in RJ, as well as RJ's role in supporting these communities.
Guest Bios
Rami El Gharib (he/him): Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, Rami came to the United States in 2018
to pursue a master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at the University
of New Haven. A queer man, from a country where it is illegal to identify as part
of the LGBTQ+ community, Rami has worked to build LGBTQ+ safe spaces and resources
across Lebanon and the United States. His interest in conflict resolution drew him
to Restorative Justice. In 2020, he established an LGBTQ+ youth safe space in rural
Colorado that incorporates restorative practices. Currently, Rami is one of the founding
board members of the Restorative Rainbow Alliance where he works to advance LGBTQ+
initiatives in the field of Restorative Justice, he is also the Restorative Justice
Program Manager at Georgia Justice Project.
Ames Stenson (they/them): Ames hails from Colorado and their family tree has been rooting on stolen
land in the west since the 1700s. With a background in Criminal Justice, Theology,
Social Work, and Restorative Practices, they currently serve as the Program Manager
with the City of Englewood, CO Municipal Court RJ program; the President for the Colorado
Coalition for Restorative Justice Practices; a founding board member of the Restorative
Rainbow Alliance; served as NACRJ’s online programming coordinator (2020-2021) and
recently retired from seven years of teaching as an Adjunct Faculty member at the
University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work. Ames is deeply appreciative
of all of the people they have gotten to work with over the last 11 years to deepen
their practice, skills and understanding of RJ Practices and Transformative Justice
as on-going learning opportunities and ways of being.
Laura Beth Waltz (she/her): Laura Beth grew up in Colorado and graduated from Fort Lewis College (BA)
and The University of Denver (MA). Her studies focused on Media, Gender Theory, and
Theology. Laura Beth currently instructs courses in Philosophy, Sociology, Religion,
and English at the high school and college levels. She is a founding board member
of the Restorative Rainbow Alliance and her passion for restorative practice stems
from a desire to disrupt the school to prison pipeline. She sponsors the student restorative
council at the high school where she teaches to help mentor students to create community,
increase self-advocacy, and engage in restorative practice and justice with their
peers. She believes in restorative practices as a path toward inclusion, anti-oppression,
and activism.
