AIBU to find pronoun introductions patronising?

[superlint]

I was in a meeting this morning and a woman introduced herself saying ‘Hi, my name is Maureen and my pronouns are she/her'

I genuinely haven’t heard anyone say this for years. As she was clearly a biological female and had a female name it sounded both patronising and virtue signalling. We all knew she was a woman within a second of seeing her.

I have never not immediately been able to tell someone’s sex and quite frankly in a meeting you use people's names not pronouns so it’s totally unnecessary.

AIBU to think pronoun announcements sound ridiculous.

It’s virtue signalling, and if I’m ever in a meeting and someone does this, I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I can’t take anyone who does this seriously.

Stop caring so much about other people’s choices. You will live longer and be happier.

Virtue signalling gaslighting tosh.

First post nails it

I do an internal eye roll when this happens.

I don’t like to be patronised.

I would say the same and think the same if a male started mansplaining something to me at work

I can see you are a woman I didn’t need to be told. It’s patronising and like a silly kids game.

It’s largely performative and honestly, if I was in a meeting and getting introduced to a number of people at the same time, the chances of me remembering a bunch of different pronouns that differ from biological sex is close to zero.

I give no shits how other people want to live their lives but pretending biological sex doesn’t exist and trying to compel speech to match an internal reality is just exhausting.

My response is usually "Erm, OK 🙄"

I thought we’d reached the high tide mark of this bollocks, but possibly not.

yes, my eyes roll so far back in my head that they come out my mouth ….. yanbu.

When they say this I hear

'Hi im Maureen, and i'm a self important prick'

Hard agree.
I was in a meeting in the US where people did this (happily never or almost never happens at our UK site) and two younger new staff did not have English as their first language and looked really uncomfortable, and stumbled over saying something to fit in. I was after them in the circle or I'd have perhaps encouraged them to skip it by not doing it myself.
The big boss (male but my age, 50-something not 70s) skipped his too, but after them as well

I always cringe when someone does this.

Well, she did give a little proud grin after stating them.

I thought it had gone now that people are more engaged with the issues aroud this movement. I rarely see pronouns on emails nowadays

I would be tempted to say something like "My name is Kassandra and I like knitting and eating Chinese food". Equally irrelevant to the task at hand.

This pronouns bollocks needs to vanish.

I was on a webinar the other week with about 30 others when someone introduced themselves as they/them. My intro was straight after theirs and obvs did not include my pronouns (refer to me as you want when im not there) which felt a bit maverick but I was pleasantly surprised when everyone else didnt offer their pronouns either.

Like you i cant remember the last time there was a pronoun intro in a meeting apart from that one.

Talking of bollocks ...

My friend works in an extremely right on industry that’s been sodden with this sort of ridiculousness, she decided she wasn’t taking part in the pronoun nonsense again as it made her hate herself so the last time it happened and a circle of people was invited to introduce themselves and share their pronouns she just said her name and then sat in silence till the next person said their name, didn’t give their pronouns and everyone just pretended the first person hadn’t said theirs. A small win for her.

It's meant to be inclusive as it means that the ones who want to give their pronouns or dont want to be singled out as different for being trans, non binary etc.

As long as it's optional & the manager/facilitator isn't requesting people do it then I don't see it's a problem. Just don't do it in your own introduction.

Personally I think it's stupid & trans/non binary people gave no issue announcing it to the world & correcting you etc. If they want people to do/say something that's not obvious then it's up to them. Not everyone else's problem to facilitate that

I don't think it does any harm to list one's pronouns when you meet someone for the first time or if they haven't seen you for a few days (pronouns and identity can be fluid for some folks) and generally it is a good way to touch base and get some real human connection in what can often be a stuffy and overly corporate office environment.

i've not come across it in real life but did have amail from my pension provider...blokes signing off he him his should realise they sound like wankers. excuse typing, broken wrist

You just made this about other people's choices when my post is clearly about how it made me feel. Which was patronised.
If someone announces something to a group of people it’s best to be sure that they don't already all know that fact Otherwise we’re all unwillingly game playing.

Oh! Thanks Maureeen I would never have guessed you were female. Thank god you announced that to everyone.

wahah haha.

OP it's quite useful when people do this as you automatically know you have to be careful what you say and do around them. Not just in the workplace but also a social functions etc.

It reminds you to be on guard and ensure you do everything absolutely by the book around them.

She did you a favour.