I would consider it a compliment.
Most people involved are men. Men tend to romanticize being a part of something bigger, become a legacy or symbol. It’s like a fantasy. Women tend to work toward this individualism that you are talking about.
Journeys of growth
Men individual->collective
Women collective->individual
I say all this, because it may be a compliment. It isn’t trying to put you in a box as much as it is trying to say that you are an individual that has joined something. Like when guys call someone a Marine instead of their name. It’s like an acknowledgement that you are a part of the effort.
also people just compartmentalize everything so who knows, maybe I’m completely wrong.