Jewel Thais-Williams

Jewel Thais-Williams (May 9, 1939 – July 7, 2025) was an American businesswoman and LGBTQI+ activist based in Los Angeles, the original owner of the Catch One, then known as Jewel's Catch One, and the first black woman in the United States to own a LGBT nightclub.

Early life Originally from Arkansas, Thais-Williams' father, in search of employment and educational opportunities, moved their family to Gary, Indiana, where Thais-Williams was born on May 9, 1939. She was the fifth born of eight children. During World War II, several of her uncles and cousins were drafted into the navy and stationed in San Diego. These relatives sent back word of San Diego's excellent weather. Her family, wanting to leave Gary's harsh weather, relocated to San Diego. They lived with relatives for a short time before moving their large family into a one-bedroom residence.

Shortly after high school, Thais-Williams moved to Los Angeles and attended UCLA, eventually opening a clothing store alongside her sister.

Having grown up black and in poverty, Thais-Williams felt that she would not be able to acquire personal wealth without starting her own business.

Career While clubbing in the early 1970s, Thais-Williams experienced discrimination in attempting to enter existing gay clubs, finding they would either refuse her entrance for being black and a woman or require two forms of identification to enter. In 1973, she purchased what was then the Diana Club on West Pico Blvd, opening it as Jewel's Catch One.

Advocacy During the AIDS pandemic, Thais-Williams was an active advocate for people with HIV/AIDS, serving on the board of the AIDS Project LA and co-founding the Minority AIDS Project.

Legacy To honor her contributions to the LGBT community, Thais-Williams was appointed the Grand Marshal of the 2016 Los Angeles Pride Festival.

In 2019, LA City Council President Herb Wesson renamed the intersection of Pico Boulevard and Norton Avenue—located directly in front of the Catch One disco—as Jewel Thais-Williams Square, in honor of her contributions and legacy.

Death Thais-Williams died on July 7, 2025, at the age of 86.