He is currently Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Observer and previously was senior editor at Mic Archived December 31, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
His articles have appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Republic, The Nation, The Advocate, and The Daily Beast.
[1] He is also known for writing a 2012 profile of the ex-gay movement in which psychiatrist Robert Spitzer repudiated his work supporting sexual orientation change efforts.
[2][3][4] After the article was published, Spitzer released a letter apologizing to the gay community, citing his interaction with Arana.
[5] In 2010, Arana was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Magazine Article for a feature story on the legal challenge to California's Proposition 8.