A poll ordered by Milosc nie wyklucza (MNW; "Love doesn't exclude") in 2015 showed that a majority of Poles supported giving LGBTI people equal rights in every field other than adoption. The survey showed Poles aren't necessarily homophobic, but they are responding to the narrative fed to them by politicians and the Catholic church.

MNW hopes to renew the survey to see how the rise of PiS has influenced public opinion.

"We know there is a conservative backlash, which comes with an outpouring of hate and violence against those who aren't considered 'real' Poles," Sobecki said. "On the other hand, there is a political awakening among many liberally-minded people who used to be passive. We don't know which effect is the largest," he added.

PiS doesn't openly bash the LGBTI community. Instead, they use cultural ideas and symbols - so-called memes - to suggest that Poland is under attack, both from internal and external foes.

"People fill in the blanks with anti-Semitic, anti-gay and anti-EU stereotypes," the activist said.

Many conservative people consider the EU as a symbol of gay rights, meaning that homophobia is becoming a form of resistance to Brussels.