Today we welcome the team from Clothing The Gap, an Aboriginal owned company that is fighting for the freedom of their flag. They are all about creating relationships between Indigenous and Non Indigenous people through fashion and giving back to their community. Check out their conversation today about Freeing The Flag and how you can help.

Laura Thompson – Gunditjmara woman, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Clothing The Gap Peter Francis – Peter is the Campaign’s Pro-Bono Legal Counsel from FAL Lawyers Sarah Sheridan – Co-Founder of Clothing The Gap

The Free the Flag movement aims to:

• Unite all Australians (Indigenous and Non-Indigenous) in the fight to free the Aboriginal [-0-] flag from its current licensing agreements and see Aboriginal people have equal rights and access to their flag. We want the Aboriginal flag to be treated like every other recognized national flag in the world. We are the only race in the world, that has to pledge our allegiance to flag that is a piece of private property.

• Enable celebration of the Aboriginal flag without asking for permission. We want free consent.

• We want to see more Black flags in the world. The current licensing agreements and copyright on the Aboriginal flag is distressing for the community. People don't feel the same sense of pride and love for the flag and many are just not prepared to ask for permission to use it and pay royalties. Flags unite people and we are afraid that we are going to notice an absence of the Aboriginal flag now.

Six things you can do to Free The Flag:

1. Sign the #PrideNotProfit Petition at change.org/pridenotprofit
2. Write to your local Member of Parliament. Clothing The Gap have a great template on your website.
3. Rep some Free The Flag merch to wear your values on your tee and spark conversations.
4. Raise awareness and continue these conversations in your sphere.
5. Donate to the ‘Free The Flag – Fighting Fund’ on GoFund Me to continue to support the campaign.
6. Use the Free The Flag logo in lieu of the Aboriginal Flag until the Flag is free from copyright.

You can learn more about the history of the Aboriginal Flag here: https://clothingthegap.com.au/pages/aboriginal-flag-timelin  

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