Franklyn "Frank" Schaefer (born December 7, 1961) is a German-American author and an LGBTQ advocate.

[1] In 2013, he was tried by a United Methodist court for officiating at his son's same-sex marriage.

He was defrocked on December 19, 2013, when he refused to uphold the Book of Discipline in its entirety, which would have meant to denounce same-sex marriage rights.

He continues to advocate for human rights while also working in a new United Methodist parish in Isla Vista, California.

[citation needed] Schaefer has been interviewed on the TV shows Good Morning America, The View, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Anderson Cooper 360°, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, and TakePart Live, and for the documentary An Act of Love.