Arien Reed began his LGBTQ activism in 2017 when he joined his colleague, Jerry Thurston, as the co-presenter of the Safe Space Allies Program at Fresno City College. He assisted his colleague, Connor Calaway, in the founding of the Allied Staff and Faculty Association at Fresno City College, established January 2019. There, he served two consecutive two-year terms as President. In November of 2019, he founded the Trans Ally training program at Fresno City College on which he served as the co-coordinator through 2022. At his request, Fresno City College's Academic Senate and Classified Senate have jointly established an LGBTQ Resolution Work Group to acknowledge and dismantle their own systemic transphobia. He is also coordinated the Preferred Name Policy & Procedure Work Group for the State Center Community College District.

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In his role as president, Reed authored the All Gender Restrooms Proposal and the Gym Shower Curtains Proposal, requesting that Fresno City College convert many of its restrooms into accessible, gender-inclusive facilities and install shower curtains in the gym showering area for the privacy of people with diverse bodies. He has also aided the college in utilizing Canvas's "Pronouns" feature and advocated for, and designed, the recently implemented Preferred/Chosen Name Change process. At his request, the EdCare Group (a self-funded health insurance group providing health care plans to multiple California college districts) unanimously approved the removal of the discriminatory (anti-trans) exclusion against the treatment of Gender Dysphoria from its health care plans, effective 2020.

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Additionally, he is also currently serving on the executive board of Trans-E-Motion, a transgender and gender diverse support and advocacy group serving California's Central Valley. He has previously served as the Classified Representative on the CCC LGBT+ Advisory Committee, and the Planning Committee for the CCC Annual LGBT+ Summit, providing knowledge-sharing workshops and discussions on LGBT+ inclusion, intersections, resources, and college-related services and facilities. He has served on the Fresno EOC LGBTQ Out4MentalHealth task force, as well as the Anti-Racism Resolution task force organized by Fresno City College's Academic Senate. He also sat on the Student Equity and Success Committee at Fresno City College, as well as the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee at the State Center Community College District. He also served on the CCC LGBT+ Leadership Caucus, which represents California Community Colleges' LGBTQ-identifying leaders. He also created and maintains the above lists of resources for LGBTQ individuals and allies.