Catch One, which she opened in Los Angeles in 1973 in the face of local animosity, became a glittering sanctuary for a largely shunned community.

Jewel Thais-Williams, who turned her Los Angeles night club, Jewel’s Catch One, into a glittering sanctuary for the city’s Black L.G.B.T.Q. community, persevering through police raids, pushback from local bigots and a devastating fire, died on July 7. She was 86.

Her death, in a hospital, was confirmed by her friend Jasmyne Cannick, who organizes the annual South L.A. Pride celebration. She did not specify where Ms. Thais-Williams died or state the cause.

Ms. Thais-Williams opened Jewel’s Catch One in 1973 as an antidote to West Hollywood gay clubs that had denied entry to Black clientele or demanded that they provide multiple forms of identification, a discriminating practice that was common at the time. As her disco’s profile rose, it became a cornerstone of Black gay nightlife and