This paper explores how negation as a linguistic device is used to construct gender identity in the Runyankore-Rukiga marriage songs. It examines how the negative morpheme ti-/ta- supports the construction of gender identities. Negation as a linguistic device and the role it plays in the construction of gender identities has not been given much attention in the scholarship of language and gender. In this paper, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) provided a theoretical framework to interrogate how negation, as a linguistic device, can be invoked to enact gender identity. On the other hand, Gender Performativity Theory (Butler, 1990) was useful in understanding the concept of gender as a social construct and how gender identities are performed. The findings reveal that the negative morpheme, when applied to the verb stem in Runyankore-Rukiga marriage songs, can enact positive gender constructs. At the same time, the negative morpheme may endorse negative social constructs for both feminine and masculine gender identities depending on the singer’s intention. Therefore, the use of negation is ambivalent and may depend on specific contexts. This paper notes that the use of negation as a linguistic device by the song composers and singers can address gender inequality among the Bakiga through Runyankore-Rukiga marriage songs. Given the importance of traditional marriage songs in many African communities, it is imperative to examine the language used and the message portrayed in the songs to increase awareness as well as promote gender inclusivity.