[3] The incident inspired Gym to leave the school and become an activist in order to "understand how to tackle head-on the fears and anger and needs that people desperately want to have addressed.

In 2008, she fought against the establishment of the proposed Foxwoods Casino planned near Philadelphia's Chinatown because of the concern that unchecked development would compel longtime residents of that area to move away.

[3][12] In 2009, she worked on a successful federal civil rights case to help stop the bullying and harassment of Asian American students in South Philadelphia High School.

In her testimony, she called for the commission to require the school and district officials bear responsibility for not addressing the problem, to differentiate bias-based harassment and generalized violence, and take a different approach for each, and to develop effective anti-harassment policies and procedures.

[3] However, Gym's opposition to proposals such as charter school expansion, concessions from teacher's unions and philanthropists influencing public-education policy has led to some adversaries describing her as an "advocate for the educational status quo.

[17] She was described as having developed "a rep as perhaps Philadelphia’s preeminent public agitator", who "has managed to build herself one of the city’s largest bully pulpits.

She has called some prominent charter school proponents "corporate raiders" and "party shills," and referred to certain journalists as members of Republican governor "Corbett PR flack machine.

[21] Following the aftermath of the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Gym posted on Twitter, "All around the country, we're fighting to remove the monuments to slavery & racism.

[citation needed] Gym authored Fair Workweek legislation which established regulations pertaining to scheduling of work for hourly workers.

[24] Gym stood by fellow councilmember Bobby Henon, who was indicted for political corruption along with labor leader Johnny Dougherty in 2019.

[25] In 2015, Dougherty told Bobby Henon, who has since been convicted of multiple felonies, to invite Gym, among other members, to the Eagles game.

[26] Philadelphia Magazine speculated that Gym's decisions could have been influenced by the fact her husband Bret Flaherty, is an attorney for AmerisourceBergen, a pharmaceutical company.

[30] Gym has proposed a city-wide wealth tax, which critics contend would encourage wealthy residents to move out of the city.

[28] In response to an increase in violence crime in 2022, Gym proposed more funding for libraries to ensure they would be open year-round for at least six days a week.

[32] Gym supported the Driving Equality Bill in 2022, which prohibits police from pulling over cars for various traffic violations including broken taillights and outdated registrations.

[39][40] She has proposed a number of progressive ideas including guaranteed jobs for those under the age of 30, city-funding for block parties and funerals and a city-wide therapist program.

[41] However, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Gym has not laid out a plan for how she would fund these programs and she has been non-committal on if she would change the city's tax structure.

[41] In January 2023, Gym condemned the Union League for gifting Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis an award.

[27] In April 2023, The Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board ran a piece raising questions about Gym failing to provide specifics for how she would fund her proposals, among other concerns.

Of our public schools, of Philly’s Black wealth through redlining and evictions and foreclosures, of the lives of essential workers for Amazon and Walmart getting minimum wage and no benefits while CEOs profit.