San Antonio juice shop The Lemon Girls wins 'Queer to Stay' grant to keep its lights on

Queer advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign has awarded San Antonio juice purveyors The Lemon Girls with its "Queer to Stay" grant as part of an effort to preserve LGBTQ-owned small businesses. Located at 2214 N. Zarzamora, the Lemon Girls is a lesbian- and Latina-owned cafe serving up fresh lemonade, juices and coffee in one of San Antonio’s “gayborhoods.” The store is owned by married couple Maxine and Desirée Cofino, who started the business by selling the tropical concoctions at markets before opening a brick-and-mortar in 2023. In addition to artisanal lemonade, the cafe hosts a variety of free LGBTQ-friendly events including poetry workshops, open mics, "Stitch & Bitch" events, gender neutral Latin dancing and meditation classes.