Polish gay rights groups claim thousands of homosexuals have fled the country to escape increasing persecution.
Robert Biedron, 27, the head of the Polish Foundation Against Homophobia, said that 'huge numbers' of Polish gays had left the country following the rise to power of the right-wing government. He said: 'It is incredible. The Polish gay community has just left because of the climate of fear and persecution.
'Most of the people I know are now in England because of the current political situation. Not for economic reasons, but because of the persecution of homosexuals going on here. It's impossible for gays to be themselves in Poland.'
He added: 'Around two million Poles have left the country seeking work and thousands of gays are among them. Many gays are approaching our foundation for help in emigrating to the UK.'
Kamil Zapasnik, 22, a gay student who moved to London because he wanted to marry, said: 'It's very important to me that I am able to have a civil partnership and adopt children. In the UK I have that freedom.'
Poland's Roman Catholic right-wing government has openly homophobic members and Polish media recently announced that the Health Ministry had created a special committee responsible for 'curing' gays.
The Deputy Health Minister, Marek Grafowski, said that the ministry was also planning to identify how many people in Poland were gay and work out a set of behavioural guides to assist parents and teachers so that they can recognise any warning signs of potential 'gay behaviour'.
Polish police have also been compiling a database on gays and the gay community in Poland which, although illegal under EU law, is apparently being done as part of a police investigation into a bomb threat two years ago by a gay man. He had reportedly identified himself as a member of the gay community who was angry when a gay rights march was banned in Warsaw.
'The police are not allowed to catalogue "homosexual data", but it's enough to look into the police investigation associated with the bomb in order to establish a list of names and addresses,' said Ewa Kulesza, a former personal data protection general inspector.
It is not just the police who are openly homophobic. Lech Wojtewski, 23, from Warsaw, said his doctor had referred him to a vet when he went to for a check-up. 'He told me there was a specialist for people like me and gave me an address. When I got there it was a vet.
'I called him and he said, "What did you expect? You are an animal".'
When Krystian Legierski, 29, opened a gay club, Le Madame, it was shut down by Warsaw local authorities who hired private security guards to break down the doors, despite an appearance there by John Malkovich a day earlier.
'I understand why people emigrate, but injustice can only be rectified by resistance, not emigration,' Legierski said.
Following the rise to power of Poland's Roman Catholic right-wing government, including some openly homophobic members, Polish gay rights groups claim that thousands of Polish gays have emigrated to United Kingdom to escape increasing persecution including the Health Ministry's "special committee responsible for 'curing' gays".

The Deputy Health Minister, Marek Grafowski, stated the ministry was developing guides "to assist parents and teachers so that they can recognise any warning signs of potential 'gay behaviour'." 

''Guardian unlimited'' reports that the Polish police have also begun compiling a database on gays in Poland. Although illegal under European Union law, this is allegedly being done under the auspices of an investigation into the gay community following a bomb threat two years ago by a gay man, who was reportedly angry when a gay rights march was banned in Warsaw.

"The police are not allowed to catalogue 'homosexual data', but it's enough to look into the police investigation associated with the bomb in order to establish a list of names and addresses," said Ewa Kulesza, a former personal data protection general inspector.

Homophobia appears to be a problem beyond the government as well. One person said his doctor had referred him to a vet when he went for a check-up. "He told me there was a specialist for people like me and gave me an address. When I got there it was a vet. I called him and he said, ‘''What did you expect? You are an animal''’.

A gay club, Le Madame, was recently shut down by Warsaw local authorities who hired private security guards to break down the doors.

Robert Biedroń, the president of the Polish Campaign Against Homophobia society, believes that most of the Polish gays emigrate to the UK not for economic reasons but because of persecution in Poland. "Most of the people I know are now in England because of the current political situation. Not for economic reasons, but because of the persecution of homosexuals going on here. It's impossible for gays to be themselves in Poland", says Biedroń.