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.

But why? When you're in a tiny minority with different requirements, you don't expect everybody to confirm that it doesn't apply to them and that they have 'standard' requirements.

I've watched gameshows where they've had blind contestants on from time to time - obviously they are in the small minority of all people as a whole. Where it's not obvious, the host will say something like "There is a visual word puzzle question on the screen - Sally has a card in front of her with the same in braille", "We normally show pictures in this round, but today we're having music clips, so that Bob can play along too" or "You have to run and stand on what you think is the right answer - Caroline is doing the running in this round on Jim's behalf" etc.

What they never do, in the majority of programmes where all of the contestants have good eyesight, is to explain why all of the contestants CAN follow the standard procedure that most sighted people can do without any issue. Why would they - it would be utterly silly; and also patronising (and potentially come across as mocking) to blind people enjoying the programme at home.

Why would it be any different for the tiny minority of people who choose non-standard pronouns - especially as their difference is a choice, unlike blind people. And just as blind people obviously feel no shame in it being known that they are blind - why ever would they? - if these people genuinely believe that it's perfectly normal for people to use non-standard pronouns, why on earth would they be embarrassed or upset about them being announced specially for them?

Don't be so bloody insulting, you know exactly what @InconvenientlyMaterial means. There's nothing unprofessional about what she's said and your response illustrates exactly what she means.
You have twisted "I have a problem with this into "you are a problem" and it's disingenuous and rude of you. People like you are why, and many of us, she is wary of speaking up.
You also know what you are doing using terms like reasonable adjustments- you are othering.

I'm not quite sure whether you intended to be helpful here or whether you're insinuating that I ought not be allowed in professional settings!

Taking you at face value, no, I don't have reasonable adjustments. Like many women who also have caring responsibilities, my employment is precarious enough without me adding reasons for people not to keep hiring me.

Why is that a problem? Women are just as capable of defending themselves as men, they can handle themselves I'm sure.

Cross posted and answered my question, thanks.

I'm sad if you're right.

You are definitely having a giraffe.

You suggested my engagement with the thread was ‘irony’.

I stand by my point. I cannot imagine having the headspace to care about my colleagues introducing themselves with their pronouns. I guess some people don’t work hard enough at work if they have time to worry about this!

I'm not sure anyone is worried. Just not interested.

No, it isn't. People either call me by my name or you or possibly love. Or an insult if it's a bad day!

They don't call me she. They may of course refer to me as she when they are talking ABOUT me but not when they are talking TO me.

Really? Is this a serious response? Do you actually believe women are as strong as men?

I assumed it was deliberate nonsense.

No thank you.

And I guess other people blindly follow the instructions people give them without engaging with the debate.

I’m pretty sure that’s a parody response. Though concerning that’s hard to tell 🫠

That’s quite a few votes on this thread.

Of course it can be singular, even before all the choosing your pronouns nonsense it can be used for an individual. What if you don’t know if they’re male or female?

Nah, the faux confusion doesn’t work any longer

I said your first sentence, followed by a long post engaging with the thread, was ironic. It was such an uncomplicated comment I dont even need to scroll back to check Im recalling it correctly. I said nothing remotely close to you allegedly not being "allowed" to engage with the thread .

There was no confusion, faux or otherwise. I am not bothered by one of my colleagues stating their pronouns. How other people choose to introduce themselves is not something I would class as ‘patronising’, therefore as per the original question, I think the OP is unreasonable. hope that helps!

God yeh! It’s like demanding everyone adhere to Scientology or some other cult. I’m sad for you if you’re all caught up in it and I’m not going to be nasty to you because of it, but I’m not going to pretend what you believe to be true it - because it’s not. You can pretend it is all you like, but you can’t make me pretend.

I think you’ll find Imane Kalif showed just how much stronger men are than women.

Many members of faculty and staff where I work include their pronouns in their email signature and CVs. I do not. Because I don’t care. You are good at your job or you are not. If I am in a meeting with you, I will call you by your name. As I expect you to do with me. I don’t need to know your pronouns. I realise this makes me an old crank, but I give live with that. I honor my students who want to be known by the names they chosen as a simple matter of respect. And then we get to work.

My name’s Katie. i’m perimenopausal : my pronouns are ‘try’ ‘me’

Nope. Nope I wouldn’t. If people want to try to convince me they’re not the sex they are, they’re either idiots or they’re trying to treat me like an idiot who can’t see what’s in front of my face. Either way no mortification here..

Or indeed if they are trying to convince people they don’t have a sex.