Arnold and Christian-Christensen will be in Myrtle Beach on Monday -- will you?

When Obama, Clinton and Edwards make their final efforts to court South Carolina voters in Myrtle Beach on Martin Luther King Day before the Congressional Black Caucus Institute's Democratic Primary Debate, Campaign to End AIDS members, advocates from around the country and elected officials such as Congresswoman Donna Christian-Christensen will also be on hand for a "Rally to End AIDS."

"Particularly because the debate is on MLK Day, this seemed the time for a rally. Dr. King was very involved with civil rights. And we believe the C2EA platform is a civil rights as well as a human rights issue," said Duke, a Campaign to End AIDS member from Sumter, South Carolina who, because of fear of stigma, asked that his last name not be used.

The four main demands of C2EA's platform are to:

• Fully fund quality treatment and support services for all people living with HIV
• Ramp up HIV prevention at home and abroad, guided by science rather than ideology
• Increase research to find a cure, more effective treatments and better prevention tools
• Fight AIDS stigma and protect the civil rights of all people with HIV and AIDS everywhere

These demands are particularly relevant in South Carolina where four people died in 2006 because of lack of access to AIDS medications.

A representative from the Clinton campaign plans to attend the rally. Representatives from the Edwards and Obama campaigns had not responded to organizers' requests at press time. The invitations extended to the campaigns makes it clear that this isn't a protest, but a rally to make sure that the Democratic candidates continue to support people with HIV/AIDS, and that as the primaries wind down, it doesn't stop being an important issue.

C2EA members from more than a dozen states plan to attend the rally, (which will be held outside the Palace Theatre where the debate will take place), including Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and New York, as well as the District of Columbia.

Speakers will include C2EA members like Frederick Murphy, a Louisiana activist, Lolisa Gibson, representing the youth caucus, tireless bird-dogger Kaytee Riek of Health GAP, as well as Congresswoman Christian Christensen.

"The Congresswoman's participation in the rally illustrates her long-standing commitment to all advocacy efforts around making access to quality health care for all HIV positive American," said William Arnold, at the Title II Community AIDS National Network, who will also be attending the rally. "Her presence will help give the fight to end HIV/AIDS the attention it deserves in Myrtle Beach."

Before the rally, activists will engage in basic training on talking to candidates, media and the public. The dozens of advocates will then hit up some campaign stops of both parties, and perhaps ask some pointed questions of the candidates.

Duke, for one, is mum about who he's voting for, but revealed this much. "I've decided to vote for a Democrat because from AIDSVote.org I've seen the Democrats have a plan to end AIDS and the Republicans have denial and rhetoric."

The Rally to End AIDS starts at 5pm outside the Palace Theatre in Myrtle Beach's Broadway at the Beach complex. The presidential debate begins at 7pm. For more information on the rally or C2EA, contact Larry Bryant at bryant2@housingworks.org or 202-419-9810.