Noach Dear, who served nearly two decades on the New York City Council as an outlier, advocating on behalf of the conservative agenda of his Orthodox Jewish constituents in Brooklyn while defending himself against accusations of conflicts of interest, died on Sunday in Brooklyn. He was 66.

The cause was complications of the coronavirus. His death, at Maimonides Medical Center, was confirmed in a statement by Frank V. Carone, president of the Brooklyn Bar Association.

In 1986, Mr. Dear vigorously fought an anti-discrimination bill that gay rights supporters had been seeking for 15 years. Among members of the City Council’s General Welfare Committee, his was the lone vote against the bill, which was approved by the full Council, 21 to 14. He was also an opponent of abortion rights.