Jennifer Martin Neuman-Roper, plaintiff in the New Mexico marriage equality case Griego v. Oliver, passed away on Friday, November  8 after battling cancer. She is survived by her wife Angelique Neuman-Roper and sons Jayms, David, and Damion.

Jen and Angelique joined Griego v. Oliver earlier this year in August, and played a pivotal role in struggle to win the freedom to marry for same-sex couples in New Mexico. Because Jen suffered from Stage 4 brain cancer, the couple of more than 20 years asked the court to expedite the freedom to marry case so they could marry before Jen's illness rendered her incapable. On August 26, the New Mexico Second District court ruled that Bernalillo and Santa Fe Counties must immediately begin allowing same-sex couples to marry. As of this wriring, eight counties in New Mexico issue marriage licenses to same sex couples andGriego v. Oliver  is currently on appeal to the New Mexico State Supreme Court. The court is expected to deliver a ruling soon.

Jen and Angelique were married in an impromptu ceremony in Santa Fe in the lobby of the Christus St. Vincent Cancer Center, the same day that the County of Santa Fe began issuing licenses. Upon her passing, Jen was the first person to be issued a New Mexico certificate of death that acknowledged a surviving same-sex spouse.

"We are deeply saddened by the news of Jen Neuman-Roper's passing," said ACLU-NM Executive Director Peter Simonson. "She was a beloved member of her community, a loving mother and wife, and a trail blazer for marriage equality in New Mexico. Her participation in the New Mexico freedom to marry case helped open the door for thousands of  same-sex couples to celebrate their love and commitment in marriage here in our state. She will be missed."

Read Jennifer Neuman-Roper's obituary here.

Join the ACLU of New Mexico as we celebrate another incredible year of defending basic freedoms in New Mexico. Enjoy dinner, drinks, and live music as we gather with to honor the men and women who have helped protect and extend our civil liberties.
Friday, November 22 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Sheraton Uptown Hotel, Main Ballroom 2600 Louisiana Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87110
Tickets $125 per person. Tables available for purchase.

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Contact Director of Philanthropy Ernest Rodriguez-Naaz for more information at (505) 266-5915 x1001 or [email protected].

Featuring Journalist Peter Maass

Peter Maass has worked for the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, the Washington Post, the Atlantic, the New York Times Magazine and many other prominent journals and magazines. Maass has reported on numerous conflicts, including Bosnia and the second U.S. war in Iraq, and in recent years has distinguished himself one of the nation’s foremost watchdogs of our sprawling surveillance state. He recently published an exclusive interview with Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency whistleblower who exposed the mass surveillance programs used to spy on innocent Americans.
 
Maass will speak on the United States surveillance state, his recent interview with Snowden, and the future of privacy rights in the digital era.
 

Watch history unfold as the ACLU of New Mexico and its legal partners argue the freedom to marry lawsuit before the New Mexico Supreme Court. Live streaming is available at KRQE.com and KOAT.com beginning tomorrow, October 23 at 9AM MST.