Diversity is the watchword at Harvard and on campuses across the country. In protests by Afro-Am concentrators and teaching boycotts by law professors, hiring and affirmative action have become highly divisive and emotional issues.

These conflicts have traditionally confined themselves to categories of gender and race. But perhaps no longer. At Harvard and elsewhere, many students and scholars are seeking to redefine diversity, to expand the spectrum of groups designated to receive special attention or preference.

If recent events at the Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Law School are any indication, recruitment of gay and lesbian students and faculty may prove to be the newest battleground in the war over affirmative action in American universities.

Earlier this spring, the Kennedy School's Committee on Issues of Sexual Orientation released a report calling for, among other things, "actively recruiting gay and lesbian applicants."

The Boston Globe ran a story under the headline, "Kennedy School to Recruit Gay Students and Faculty." Administrative Dean Barbara T. Salisbury told the Globe, "we are openly recuiting for everyone."

Soon after, however, the Kennedy School released a statement that it "does not recruit or admit students, staff or faculty on the basis of sexual orientation."

"The Kennedy School is not actively recruiting gay faculty," says spokesperson Steven R. Singer. "We are removing barriers to gays and lesbians--we are not actively changing admissions or recruiting. The school is wanting to cast as wide a net as possible, but it is not a proactive position."

Singer says the Kennedy School is supportive of the Sexual Orientation Report. But, he adds, many of its recommendations--such as the recruitment of gay and lesbian faculty--cannot be implemented, at least not now.

"Some things are very simple to do within the school, but we are not prepared to accept all recommendations," says Singer.

Since the initial public uproar about the report, Singer has issued a memo reminding all faculty members that Kennedy School policy issues may not be discussed with members of the press without his permission. Although Singer says the memo is just a reminder of a policy that has long been in place, others say it was the committee's report that prompted the action.

"That publicity scared the school," says Bradley R. Carlson, a member of the committee. Carlson says the original press reports were accurate, but misplaced the emphasis onto faculty hiring--forcing Kennedy School officials take a step back.

"The dean doesn't want to appear that he is going over the heads of the other professors involved in faculty recruitment," says Carlson.

But this is a position for which Carlson says he has little sympathy.

"There are no openly gay or lesbian faculty at the Kennedy School. I question if they acknowledge that as a problem," he says. "The school is not interested in recruiting gay or lesbian faculty. I don't think they really consider gays and lesbians as a legitimate group."

And without a single openly gay professor at the Kennedy School, Carlson says important issues of public policy are being ignored or glossed over.